Valentine's Day
by yunakitty
Summary: Ritsu's head is filled with images of the Valentine's Day he never had with his senpai. Could Takano possibly be thinking of the same thing? TakanoxRitsu, with a tiny bit of YukinaxKisa side dish. Now continuing! They have a lot more holidays and experiences they want to share!
1. Chapter 1

"H-Here... Senpai... it's for you." Ritsu Onodera thrust forward a small package of chocolate wrapped in a red ribbon.

"Eh?" The taller boy just looked down at it, one eyebrow raised. "What's this?"

"V-Valentine's chocolate!" Saga-senpai said nothing, so Ritsu continued to stammer, his face down and his cheeks red. "I know it was a s-stupid idea... just throw it away if you want to." His heart was sinking in his chest as his boyfriend continued to say nothing. But he pulled himself together and forced himself to give a weak laugh. "W-w-well, have a nice day... see you!" He spun on his heels and started to run away.

"Wait." That devastatingly sexy voice froze him in his tracks. He stood still with his back turned, and just waited for more. Then, his knees threatened to buckle and he gave a startled gasp as he felt Saga-senpai's hand ruffling his hair. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

Ritsu could feel his heart soaring, and then it threatened to beat out of his chest as Saga-senpai's other hand firmly took hold of his shoulder and spun him around to face him. He trembled violently as Saga-senpai leaned in and kissed him gently. Ritsu's eyes were shut tight as Saga-senpai quietly murmured, "Happy Valentine's Day... Ritsu."

Could it get any more perfect? Ritsu sighed in absolute bliss.

Then he sat up in bed with a gasp. He was momentarily confused as he looked around his messy bedroom, half expecting to see Saga-senpai somewhere. Then he groaned. "I can't believe this..." He snatched up his pillow and threw it at the wall in frustration. "Why do I keep having dreams about him?!" He flopped facedown on the bed and pouted. "All that was ten years ago..." he muttered to himself. "And we didn't even get to have Valentine's Day together, so my brain is just making up deluded fantasies now. Why do I keep doing this?"

But in his heart, he knew exactly why. That first love from the past that he dreamed of over and over again was also a very tangible part of his present. The brooding seventeen year old he had known as Saga-senpai back then was now his temperamental boss, Takano-san. Thanks to a change of name due to his parents' divorce, and ten years of maturity, Ritsu hadn't recognized him until the man himself called him out on it.

"How can you not remember me?!" Takano-san had shouted. But that wasn't the problem. Ritsu did remember him, all too clearly. Their brief but passionate love affair was a scar on his heart. After he had asked Saga-senpai if he loved him, and Saga-senpai had simply snorted in response, Ritsu had taken it the worst possible way, fleeing the room and not returning to school. His parents sent him to study abroad almost immediately, and though his boyfriend tried to search for him, it had been in vain.

So here they were, 10 years later, having to work together very closely with all these old feelings of the past churned up. Takano-san, for his part, was very much in favor of them picking up where they had left off. He had told Ritsu, "I'll make you say that you love me again." But it wasn't that easy for Ritsu. That wound on his heart had spent 10 years festering. He had sworn he'd never love anyone again, never get close enough to anyone to let them hurt him like that. Especially not the person who had hurt him in the first place.

"But he didn't really mean to hurt me..." Ritsu admitted to himself as he rolled out of bed and started to get dressed for work. Takano-san had told him the reason he simply snorted was because he couldn't believe Ritsu was asking him that, after all the things they had done and he'd told him he loved him so many times before.

It was just hard for Ritsu to let go of his old grudge. And just when he'd start feeling affectionate towards Takano-san, when old feelings of love would start to emerge, Takano-san would crush them down with a poorly timed insult or criticism of his work. "It's not easy having your first love turn into your hard ass boss," Ritsu muttered, grabbing up his bag and heading out the door.

He glanced at the next door down the hallway as he headed for the elevator. Usually, dumb luck (or was it misfortune?) caused Takano-san to be exiting at the same time as him fairly often. He couldn't believe that, either. How did they end up as next-door neighbors? It boggled his mind what the odds could be on a coincidence like that.

But Takano-san did not emerge today. Ritsu felt a slight pang of disappointment, then scowled at himself. "This is a good thing," he reminded himself. "You can ride the train to work in peace, without him harassing you the whole time."

As he walked up the road to the train station, gaudy decorations in shop windows reminded him what day it was. February 14th, Valentine's Day. "That's why I had that silly dream," he reassured himself. "It was shoved into my brain by all this advertising." A little voice in his head reminded him that he'd had that fantasy about them sharing Valentine's Day before, back when they were actually dating. He used to think about Saga-senpai for hours when they were dating. He'd lie in bed at night and think up scenarios that could happen. What would happen on Christmas Eve, their birthdays, Valentine's Day, White Day, at cherry blossom viewing, at summer festival time... the list went on and on.

"But we never got to do any of that stuff together," Ritsu lamented, then he frowned. "Not that I care now!" He forced himself to stop thinking about it as he boarded the train.

Soon he was entering the Marukawa Publishing building and riding to the fourth floor. He made his way to the Emerald Shoujo Editing department, and was greeted cheerfully by Kisa, the co-worker who sat next to him. "Ah, Ricchan!" Kisa called out.

"Why does he always call me that silly nickname?" Ritsu thought to himself, with only a tiny bit of annoyance. Somehow, it fit Kisa's personality to call people by cute nicknames. "What is it, Kisa?"

"A fax came for you," Kisa replied, gesturing to the desk.

"Oh, thank you." Ritsu looked it over, then glanced around the office. "Where's Takano-san?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant but failing abysmally.

"Why? Do you want him or something?"

Ritsu turned bright red and began flailing madly. "Want him?! Who ever suggested such a thing? Why would I WANT him? And furthermore..."

"Whoa, whoa, Ricchan!" Kisa waved his hands. "What's wrong with you? I'm just saying, if you need him, you'll have to wait. He had to run down to marketing to see about the preparations for the Valentine's Day promotional event at the bookstore. He'll be back soon, though."

"Oh." Ritsu felt acutely embarrassed. "No, I don't need anything right now. I just wondered where he was, that's all." He began shuffling papers furiously.

Kisa was eyeing him with suspicion. "Hmmm," was all he would say.

"Don't 'hmmm' me," Ritsu snapped, opening up his laptop and beginning to type industriously.

Kisa started to say something, but when his phone buzzed suddenly, his attention was distracted. "What's this... oh!" Ritsu glanced over at him in time to see his face flush as he read a text.

"Hmmm..." Ritsu turned the teasing back on Kisa. "You know, whenever you look at your phone lately, you blush. What's up with that?"

"Nothing," Kisa mumbled, shoving his phone under a pile of papers.

"Is someone sending you naughty messages?" Ritsu asked in a laughing voice. He began to laugh louder when Kisa hung his head. "No way! I was just kidding, but-"

"Drop it!"

"Hey, let me see," Ritsu said playfully, reaching for the phone. Kisa tried to slap his hands away, but Ritsu deftly evaded him and flipped the phone open just as it buzzed with another incoming text. "WHAT!?" Ritsu dodged Kisa's grabbing hands. "'And then I'm going to paint your sexy little body with chocolate and eat you up?' Wahahaha! Who is this?" He managed to read the name "Yukina" at the top of the screen before Kisa finally snatched the phone out of his hands.

"You jerk!" Kisa was fuming as he clutched the phone to his chest.

"Whoa, I'm sorry," Ritsu said, laughing nervously. "I was just playing around." He cried out as something smacked him hard on the top of the head.

"Oi! Onodera! If you've got time to play around, you've got time to get your work done! Idiot newbie!" Ritsu glowered as he spun around to face Takano, who was holding some rolled up papers.

"Yes, sir," Ritsu grumbled. He turned to his laptop and began typing. "This is why," he said under his breath. "This is why I'll never say 'I love you' again. Who could love a jerk like you?"

The workday went on without further event, until Takano called out to everyone. "Okay, it's 6 o'clock. Time to head down to the bookstore and help with the promotional event." The editors brought what they were doing to a stopping point and put on their coats, then headed for the elevators together.

"Anyone got Valentine's Day plans?" the ever cheerful Minou asked while the elevator was descending.

"Hah." Takano snorted. "It's all a stupid gimmick the companies promote in order to make money."

"But, Takano-san," Kisa said timidly. "Isn't that a good thing? For us, I mean? That's where we're headed, and all. Girls will buy more romantic books in the spirit of Valentine's Day."

"That may be," Takano assented, "but it doesn't take away from the fact that it's all overhyped nonsense."

Ritsu rolled his eyes and folded his arms. "Well, good thing I never gave you any chocolate, you grump," he muttered under his breath.

"Eh? What's that?" Takano asked.

"Nothing!" Ritsu shouted, surprised that he had said it out loud.

"You said something about chocolate," Takano pressed him.

"No, I didn't," Ritsu huffed emphatically. "You are hearing things, Takano-san." They were all exiting the elevator now and heading out of the building, towards the bookstore.

"Brrr... it's cold out here," Kisa said in a slightly whining tone. Everyone ignored him and trudged silently down the block.

Inside the store, there was a huge display for the promotion. Roses were everywhere, gaudy lace hearts hung from every surface, and stacks of girly romance manga were lined up. At a table in the center were two of Emerald's most popular authors, signing books for fans. "I want you guys to smile, be charming, and help with crowd control," Takano ordered his employees. He gave more detailed instructions to each of them on their specific assignments.

Ritsu sweated nervously as he accepted each book from the fans and held it in place for the author to sign, then wrapped it in a special sash for the event, and handed it back. These kinds of events were sometimes the hardest work an editor had to do!

He glanced over at Kisa, who was guiding the fans in the proper way to queue up. Suddenly, he heard a voice. "Kisa-san!" it called out brightly. Then a ginger-haired man so beautiful that he was practically sparkling appeared, wearing a bookstore apron. "Kisa-san, I'm so glad to see you here!" the man said.

"Not now," Kisa was saying through gritted teeth. "Yes, this way please," he said more audibly, gesturing to the end of the line. "I'm working."

"Did you get my texts?" the man was asking him in a lower voice.

Ritsu's attention was fully drawn now. So this was the Yukina who wanted to paint Kisa's "sexy little body" with chocolate? "Whoo, Kisa. you landed a pretty one," Ritsu whispered in disbelief. He had been pretty sure that Kisa was gay, this just confirmed it.

"Yes, yes. Now get away from me," Kisa hissed.

"Okay, I'll see you later!" Yukina said cheerfully. He didn't seem to be bothered by Kisa's standoffish attitude at all. Ritsu just shrugged, and then gasped as he was nudged in the back.

"Pay attention to what you're doing," Takano was hissing at him. Ritsu looked down and apologized when he realized he'd left a fan standing there expectantly.

The event only lasted for two hours, but it was a very long two hours for Ritsu. He was nervous to not let his mind wander and draw the ire of Takano again. But aggravatingly enough, seeing all the Valentine's decorations, he couldn't help but let his mind drift to the dream he had had.

As they were cleaning up the event, Kisa excused himself. "I'm very sorry, but I must leave now!" he apologized.

"Eh? What makes you special that you get to leave early?" Takano bellowed.

"I'm very sorry!" Kisa repeated. "But I simply have to go right now!" He turned and ran towards the exit before anyone could stop him. Ritsu watched him go, and noted that Yukina was standing outside the doors waiting for Kisa.

Takano made a noise of disgust. "I'm going to get him for that tomorrow," he threatened.

Ritsu just gave a soft laugh. "Aw, give him a break. He's actually got a valentine, unlike the rest of us," he murmured, so quietly that he was surprised that Takano heard.

"You sounded pretty disappointed there," Takano said to him in a low voice, making Ritsu seize up. "Do you want a valentine, too?"

"Wh-what? No, of course not!" Ritsu blustered. He shoved a stack of unsold books into a box.

"Hmm." Takano was stroking his chin thoughtfully. "I'll bet you had a fantasy about us celebrating together, back in the day." Ritsu looked at Takano in horror, his face showing plainly that this was true. And to his surprise, Takano didn't laugh or mock him. Instead, his face was kind. "Well, I'll admit that I did too. I thought, maybe..." His eyes got a faraway look in them. "I'd come out from class at the end of the day, and find a little box of chocolates in my shoe cubby. I'd look around, and there you'd be, peeking out from behind a pillar near the school entrance, watching me from afar like you always used to do."

Ritsu swallowed hard and continued to listen raptly. Every word he heard was achingly painful, but he was in ecstasy to hear it. Takano's voice was so gentle and loving as he spoke. "Then I'd approach you, take you by the hand, and lead you home. We'd go up to my room, sit on my bed, and I'd unwrap the box. And then..."

"Excuse me, Takano-san, but where should we put the posters?" Hatori interrupted suddenly.

"What?" Takano turned towards him, annoyed at being interrupted. "The posters? Well, they were only for this event, so you can give them to the workers here as a thank you for today."

"I see, sir," Hatori said smoothly.

Takano turned back towards Ritsu... but Ritsu was gone. Takano clapped a hand over his face. "It had seemed like he was enjoying hearing that... but I guess not," he murmured to himself.

Meanwhile, Ritsu was hurrying down the street towards the train station. "That was bad there..." he muttered. "I almost got sucked in again. I can't let that happen. I can't let that happen!"

However, his walk slowed as his brain began to process the words Takano had gently whispered to him. He could see the scene unfolding before his eyes. There they were, young again, all that hope and love brimming over. Saga-senpai was opening the box of chocolates... and then what? Ritsu wanted more than anything to know what would happen next.

So he turned into the next shop he passed, and came out red-faced and clutching a bag half an hour later.

After an excruciatingly long train ride home, he ran the three blocks to his apartment building. But when he got to his floor, his resolve wavered. He ran right past Takano's door and into his own apartment. There, he leaned up against the door, breathing hard. "Shit. What am I doing?" he admonished himself. "Forget it. This is a bad idea."

He stomped into the kitchen and started to throw the bag into the trash can. But he paused, and took the item out of the bag. He turned it over in his hands, and the red ribbon on it sparked off images in his mind. Seeing Saga-senpai's hands... no, Takano-san's hands, untying it slowly. "Well, I at least ought to give it to him. It's a waste to throw them away," he reasoned with himself out loud, even though deep down he knew exactly what he was doing.

"I'll just stuff them in the mail slot," he thought to himself, as he exited his apartment and walked the four steps to Takano's door. He lifted the metal flap and began pushing the box through. But because of the ribbon, it became lodged. He tried to shove it through, and when that didn't work, he frantically began pulling on the box as he heard footsteps approaching from inside. To his horror, something began pulling on the box from the other side.

Ritsu tugged with all his might, and when the force from the other side relented, the box came loose in his hands, and he flew back on the ground in surprise. The door opened, and of course Takano was standing there, looking down on him with an indescribable look on his face.

Ritsu's face was simply covered in shame and embarrassment. He opened his mouth, but was unable to speak. He hung his head and lowered his eyes.

He gave a gasp as he was yanked to his feet and pulled into Takano's apartment. "I can't believe this, Onodera..." Takano's voice was smooth and low as he pressed Ritsu into the door with his body. "You brought Valentine's chocolate for me?"

Ritsu started to blurt out an excuse, but his words were smothered by a hot kiss. He gave muffled protests which Takano ignored for a full fifteen seconds, at which point Ritsu fell silent and gave into the kiss.

When they came up for air, Takano was looking deep into Ritsu's eyes. "I'm so happy you did this for me," he said sincerely.

Ritsu's heart felt like it was going to overflow, so his defense mechanisms began to kick in. "Whatever," he blurted out. "I found it in a trash can at the station. I was hoping you'd eat them and get sick."

Takano simply chuckled and pulled him by the wrist towards the bedroom. "Wait, where are we going? What do you think you're doing?" Ritsu protested.

"I think you know the answer to that," Takano said as he threw Ritsu on the bed and got over him. He lowered his head and began kissing Ritsu's neck.

Ritsu's skin erupted in goosebumps and his breath became ragged. "No, wait..." he panted.

"Wait for what?" Takano murmured as his hands fell to the top button of Ritsu's shirt and began working it open.

"I want you to..." Ritsu could barely speak as Takano started to grind their lower halves together. Takano had his shirt completely opened now, and he kissed at the flesh he had uncovered, and then back up Ritsu's neck.

"You want me to what?" he whispered in Ritsu's ear.

Ritsu shuddered hard. "Open... open the chocolates."

Takano's eyes got wide, and then he smiled as he remembered that's where he'd left off in the story. Had Ritsu been wondering what happened next...?

One glance into those begging green eyes was all the answer he needed.

Takano chuckled softly and pulled up, picking up the chocolates from where he'd dropped them on the end of the bed. He held the box in his hands as he straddled Ritsu at the waist. Then he began to slowly untie the ribbon, noting with pleasure how eagerly Ritsu watched him do so.

The ribbon fell off the box and landed on Ritsu's bare stomach, earning a gasp from the overworked man. Takano smiled again and eased off the lid of the box. He reached inside and took out one chocolate, then set the box aside. Ritsu watched expectantly as Takano's hand came closer to his mouth.

"Open up," Takano murmured, as the chocolate met Ritsu's almost closed lips. "It's been a long time since I've had to tell you to open your mouth," he chuckled, remembering how the virginal Ritsu kissed with his mouth closed.

"Sh-shut up," Ritsu blustered. but his lips parted all the same. The chocolate met his tongue in a tingling rush, and he gently bit the chocolate in half. Takano then took the other half and placed it between his own lips. Their eyes were locked as they tasted the treat together, and then swallowed in unison.

Takano then looked down at his forefinger and thumb, which were marked with chocolate. He gave a wicked smile and licked the chocolate off his thumb seductively, then offered his forefinger to Ritsu.

Ritsu blushed furiously as the tip of Takano's finger breached his lips, but he accepted it nonetheless. Takano groaned as he felt Ritsu's tongue encircling his finger. "God, Onodera... you are just too sexy, doing that."

Ritsu opened his mouth and released Takano's finger, and for a moment they just gazed at each other in the moonlight. Then Takano lowered himself down and whispered in Ritsu's ear. "Onodera... watching you do that made me want something very badly." He took Ritsu's hand and guided it to his fabric covered erection. "Put your mouth on it."

Ritsu shuddered so hard that he thought the bed would shake to pieces. "I've... I've never done that before..." he managed to stammer out, his hand tentatively feeling Takano's rock hard manhood.

"I know," Takano breathed in his ear. "You were so shy back then, I never asked you to do it. And I've been dying these ten years to finally feel your mouth on me."

Ritsu's hand slid up past Takano's stomach and then chest, and went up his neck so that he could entangle his fingers in Takano's hair as the older man kissed him deeply. Takano held himself up with one arm as he unfastened the front of his pants with his free hand. He groaned into Ritsu's mouth as his cock was freed from the confines of his pants, and then he pulled out of the kiss and came to kneeling on the bed.

Ritsu murmured softly as he came up. He shrugged out of his dress shirt, his eyes averted shyly. Takano took him by the chin. "Don't be afraid to look at me," he urged Ritsu. "Though, I think the bashful you is pretty sexy too."

Ritsu could feel his face turning red as he forced himself to look down from Takano's face to his cock. His eyelids fluttered and his lips fell open. He could feel his mouth watering involuntarily at the sight of it. Admittedly, he had never seen it properly before, as he was always too shy to look at it back then. When they had sex, Ritsu always had his eyes shut tight. But now, here it was, in all its glory. Takano's cock was magnificent; thick, long and standing at attention for him. Ritsu reached out a shaking hand to take a hold of it.

Takano groaned as Ritsu began to stroke it. "Oh, God, Onodera..." he moaned. "Please, put your mouth on it now. I'm begging you."

Ritsu leaned forward and took the head between his lips, his tongue creeping out to lap at the slit. Takano gave a choked cry. Ritsu was encouraged to go on, swirling his tongue around the head. He slid his mouth down further, and Takano clapped a hand over his face to stifle his cries of pleasure. Ritsu sucked gently at first, and then with more force, adjusting what he did based on how Takano reacted.

"Good God, Onodera," Takano growled, his voice raspy with lust. His hands fell to Ritsu's head and guided his movements gently. He bucked his hips, thrusting into Ritsu's eager mouth. "I can't... hold on... much longer... it's too good... oh!" He threw his head back and gave a long cry of joy as he climaxed. "Ritsu!" In his delirium, he reverted to calling Ritsu by his first name, as he did way back then.

Ritsu accepted the rush of hot fluid the best he could, and managed to swallow it without much struggle. His eyes went up to Takano's face, and he was almost frightened by how much love and adoration he saw in the man's eyes.

"Oh, God, Onodera..." Takano moaned softly, petting Ritsu's head gently, and then pulling him up into an embrace. "That was so, so wonderful that I can't even begin to tell you."

Ritsu hugged Takano tightly, his arms around his waist. After a few moments of blissful silence, he wiggled slightly, and Takano became aware of the hardness pressing into his upper thigh.

"Right. We need to take care of you," he chuckled, pushing Ritsu back onto the bed. Ritsu gasped as Takano's hands fell to his waistband and unfastened his trousers. They were tugged completely off, along with his underwear, and Ritsu was left shivering slightly. "Cold? Don't worry, I'll warm you up," Takano promised, kissing a trail down Ritsu's chest and stomach.

Ritsu shuddered in anticipation as Takano got closer and closer. Then he cried out when Takano's mouth finally reached its destination, taking his whole cock in with one smooth movement. Ritsu grabbed great handfuls of the sheets in his ecstasy, wiggling his body desperately.

He was too worked up to last long, and came suddenly with a glorious cry of, "Takano-san!"

Ritsu melted back into the bed as Takano pulled himself up over him, kissing at his throat. His eyes fluttered closed, and Takano gave a soft chuckle. "Don't fall asleep," he warned. "We're not done yet."

Ritsu's eyes flew open to see Takano reaching out to the side table and pulling open a drawer. He retrieved a bottle of lube from inside, and Ritsu gave a little shudder at the sound of the cap being flicked open. Takano anointed his reawakened member with the syrupy fluid, then he lowered his slippery fingers between Ritsu's legs. Ritsu moaned as he felt Takano circle his opening with the tip of one finger, then gently press inside. He spread his legs wider, and reached up to grip Takano by the shoulders.

Takano removed his fingers after a few moments, and replaced them in one swift move with his cock. Ritsu cried out loudly, and Takano stilled his movements to lean down and kiss Ritsu gently. After murmuring a few encouraging words, Ritsu nodded and Takano began to move again.

They clung to each other desperately, their enraptured voices echoing through the room. So much time had been lost because of misunderstandings, but the flame of their passion had never waned. Ritsu knew in his heart of hearts that this was right. This was all that mattered. They belonged together.

"Takano-san..." Ritsu moaned. "I'm gonna..." He trailed off into incoherent sounds.

"I know..." Takano grunted. He could see the flush spreading on Ritsu's throat and chest. Even after ten years, that beautiful sight was still burned in his mind as a treasured memory. It meant that he was bringing his beloved to completion.

"You... come too..." Ritsu begged. He was holding on for all he was worth, trying to wait for Takano.

"Unh...Onodera..." Takano groaned as he began thrusting erratically. "God!"

"Takano-san!"

"Onodera!"

Their voices sang out simultaneously, and then Takano collapsed down onto Ritsu. All they could do was lie there and catch their breath for the next few minutes. Then Takano lifted his head, gazed into Ritsu's eyes, and murmured, "I love you."

Ritsu's eyes were brimming with tears. "I... love you too."

Takano gave a sigh of happiness as he heard the words he'd been waiting so long to hear. He had reclaimed his lost love, and he would never let him go again.

They slept deeply in each others' arms.


	2. Chapter 2

Ritsu stirred slightly as sunlight crept over his face. His eyes opened slowly, and he blinked a few times, listening to the birds chirping outside the nearby window. His hand smoothed over the surface of the sheets in front of his face. They seemed different than usual.

When his hand met an obstacle, namely another hand, was when he suddenly remembered everything.

The chocolates.

The lovemaking.

He was in Takano-san's bed.

He slid his hand underneath Takano's, and the older man responded by curling his fingers into the space between. Ritsu gave a soft sigh as he turned his head up and to the side to look at Takano, who was spooning him. "Good morning," Takano said softly.

"Morning," Ritsu murmured, feeling slightly embarrassed. Their lips met for a brief but sweet kiss, and then Takano chuckled.

"I'd offer to make you breakfast, but I really don't want to get out of this bed," he admitted.

"Me neither," Ritsu said quietly. "But..." He glanced at the clock. "We can't stay in the bed forever."

"I wish that we could," Takano whispered in his ear. "We have a lot of lost time to make up for."

Ritsu shut his eyes tightly and shuddered. Takano-san always knew just the right thing to say to completely destroy him.

If it had been up to them, they never would have gotten out of the bed. But as if by divine intervention, Takano's cell phone began to ring. He swore and pulled out of the embrace, fishing through the pile of discarded clothes on the floor to find it. He swung his legs over the side, and got up as he answered it.

Ritsu rolled towards that side of the bed, and blushed as he got a full view of Takano's nude backside. "No use getting shy over it now," he admonished himself. Still, it was something he'd have to get used to... seeing his boss naked.

Takano hung up the phone. "That was Minou," he said. "The replacement storyboards have arrived. I guess we'd better get ready..." He sounded wistful as he looked back at Ritsu, sprawled naked under his sheets.

"Yes, you're right," Ritsu agreed, with the same amount of reluctance. He slid out of bed and started to pull his clothes from the night before on.

"Eh? You're heading back to your apartment?" Takano asked.

"Well, I need to get a shower," Ritsu admitted. "I'm kind of sticky everywhere..." He blushed and looked away as Takano chuckled.

"Take a shower here with me," Takano urged him.

"What?! But..." Ritsu paused in his dressing, looking down at the floor. "Don't you think... if we do that, we'll probably end up...?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking," Takano purred. Ritsu gasped as Takano snatched his pants back down and pulled him off towards the bathroom.

"Wait! We'll be late for work if we do that!"

"Work be damned." Takano was turning on the shower now. He held his hand out to check the temperature as Ritsu continued to argue uselessly. "Quiet. We're doing this." Ritsu fell silent with an annoyed expression on his face. "Don't do that, now. It's just that..." His eyes got that dreamy look they always got when he was thinking about the past. "I always used to think... what if I could take a shower with my little Ritsu?"

Ritsu's cheeks became pink and he pressed the back of his knuckles to his lips as looked away. Takano chuckled. "Ah. I see that you had the same fantasy too. All right, get on in, it's warm now." He hustled Ritsu into the shower.

Once they were both underneath the flow of warm water, Takano leaned in and kissed Ritsu deeply. Ritsu moaned into the kiss, snaking his hands up to wrap around Takano's neck. After a few moments, they came apart, and Takano reached out to grab a washcloth. "Want me to wash your back?" he offered.

"S-sure," Ritsu stammered. He turned his back to Takano, and then gave a ragged exhale as the man began soaping up his back. Takano's touch was so light and sensual... Ritsu gave a soft moan as he felt himself getting aroused. He heard the wet splash of the washcloth being dropped on the shower floor, and he waited in anticipation for what was next.

Then he cried out in protest as Takano clapped a handful of shampoo onto the top of his head and began lathering it industriously. "I've been dying to do this for the longest time," Takano said with determination, through gritted teeth. "You always have the most annoying cowlick right back here... I just know it's because you're not using enough shampoo. I'm gonna soap this little bastard right out."

"Stop it! Stop it! The suds are getting in my eyes!" Ritsu spluttered. He managed to pull himself away and stood directly under the water flow, glaring at Takano with one eye shut. "That was mean," he huffed.

"I'm sorry. I got carried away," Takano admitted.

Ritsu rinsed out all the excessive lather. "And I was really enjoying it," he pouted under his breath.

"Eh? What was that? You were enjoying it?" Takano asked with a suggestive tone in his voice.

"BEFORE you started assaulting me with shampoo!" Ritsu shouted.

"I'm sorry." Takano apologized again. "Please, let me do it properly." He picked the washcloth back up and rolled the bar of soap around in it. Ritsu frowned for a moment, but then turned around and allowed Takano to continue where he had left off. He sighed and leaned his head to the side as Takano washed his shoulders and the back of his arms. The washcloth then trailed down his spine to soap up his buttocks and in between his legs, and he could feel his face getting hot.

Takano noticed how ragged Ritsu's breath was getting, and he chuckled to himself. He reached around the front of Ritsu's body with the washcloth, and wasn't surprised at all to find an erection there. Ritsu gave a pretty little cry as his embarrassment was discovered.

"Oh?" Takano was whispering softly in his ear now. "Even after coming twice last night, you still need more?"

"Sh-shut up," Ritsu said weakly. "I can't help it... you're... oh!" His head fell forward as Takano began stroking him with the washcloth. "Takano-san..." he moaned helplessly.

"Shit. You're just too damn sexy for words," Takano growled. He was stroking hard now. Ritsu began trembling terribly, and Takano had to place his knee between his legs to keep him from collapsing. Takano's lips kissed a wet trail along the side of Ritsu's neck, then he brought his lips to his ear and began breathing there.

Ritsu was mewling desperately. "Takano-san..." He suddenly leaned forward at the waist and slapped his hands on the shower wall. "Oh, oh, oh!" he cried brokenly, as Takano made him climax.

Takano stroked the shuddering man a few more times, and then removed the washcloth. He planted a kiss to the back of Ritsu's neck. "My turn," he murmured, his lips brushing against Ritsu's skin. He pressed the washcloth into Ritsu's limp hand.

Ritsu stammered a little bit, but finally turned around to face his lover. His face got hot when he saw the intense look of desire in Takano's eyes, and he immediately dropped his gaze out of shyness. But the view below was even more embarrassing. Takano's rock hard erection jutted out proudly from his body, demanding attention. "Touch me," Takano begged.

Ritsu reached forward with the washcloth and wrapped it around the base of Takano's cock, then he stroked upward. Moans of ecstasy rippled out of Takano's throat in reaction. Ritsu was encouraged to continue, stroking it evenly again and again. Takano took hold of Ritsu's chin and tilted it upward, catching his lips for a deep kiss. His groans resonated into Ritsu's mouth as the stroking continued.

Takano could feel that sweet heat building up inside himself, and he broke away from the kiss. "Oh God, Onodera," he moaned. "Faster, now. As.. fast as you can. A-ahhhh!" His release began to spurt out, gushing onto Ritsu's flat stomach.

They just stood there, gasping for air, and then Ritsu gave a yelp as the hot water ran out. They rinsed themselves quickly and jumped out, toweling off as they shivered. Takano was smiling blissfully at Ritsu as he leaned in to ruffle his wet head.

"There, you can check that one off your fantasy list," Ritsu said, rolling his eyes, though it had been something he had wanted too.

"But you know..." Takano said wistfully. "You didn't wash my back for me. That means we'll have to do it again, at least one more time."

"At least one more time?" Ritsu exclaimed. "Wait, now..."

"Oh, admit that you loved it." Takano hung his towel back up and exited the bathroom completely uncovered. Ritsu followed him, and began putting on his old clothes. "What are you doing?"

"I can't walk out in the hallway in a towel," Ritsu huffed. "And I need to get some clean clothes to wear today." Takano looked disappointed, and Ritsu looked away. "I'll be back over in a bit," he said quietly. "You can go ahead and make that breakfast for me while I'm gone." He looked up nervously, and saw that Takano was grinning.

Ritsu glanced over at the bed, and saw that the box of chocolates was teetering precariously on the far side. He climbed over and picked it up, then set it on the nightstand. "Now, you know the rule," he said in a mock serious tone. "You owe me cookies on White Day."

He had only been joking, but Takano nodded solemnly. "Of course," he said. "I promise to return the favor triple-fold. And beyond that... we have a lot more holidays to catch up on."

Ritsu blushed madly. How could it be that he always voiced exactly what Ritsu himself was thinking? It was if they were... soulmates.

At the office, Ritsu settled down at his desk. Kisa greeted him cheerfully, his face shiny and bright. "You sure are sparkling today," Ritsu commented. "Have a good night?" he teased.

Kisa blushed, and turned on Ritsu. "You're one to talk! Look how shiny your skin is." He reached out and grabbed Ritsu by the cheeks. "What were YOU doing all night?"

"Ow!" Ritsu cried, slapping his hands away.

"Oi! Both of you! Pipe down!" Takano shouted irritably, from his desk in the corner of the room. "I'm on the fucking phone!"

"Sorry, Takano-san!" Kisa called out in a melodious tone. He looked over at his boss with an apologetic grin, and Takano just snorted and looked away, continuing with his phone call. Kisa continued to peer over the space between their desks, looking intently at Takano. "Hmmm...Takano-san sure looks shiny today too." He turned back to Ritsu and began to talk in a stage whisper. "Hey, Ricchan, do you think Takano-san actually got lucky last night? Who'd do it with a pissy guy like him, anyway? Hey, why are you turning so red? Ricchan?"

"Leave me alone!" Ritsu spluttered, shuffling papers in a frenzy.

"Ohhhhh..." Kisa's voice was high and interested now. "Oh! Ricchan! Could it be that YOU and Takano-san...?"

"Absolutely not! Never! As if I would!"

"You can't fool me! I see it in your face! You naughty boy! Doing it with the boss? Ooh, I just gotta know, what's he like in bed? I bet he's kinky. Did he tie you up and bite you? Show me the marks! And how big is his thing? Does he talk dirty in bed?" The impertinent questions came hard and fast, one after another, until Ritsu held his head and pleaded with Kisa to stop.

"I said to SHUT THE FUCK UP over there!" Takano's voice bellowed, and he began chucking books at Kisa and Ritsu. They covered their heads and begged for mercy.

"You got us in trouble," Ritsu hissed to Kisa as they stooped and picked up all the books.

"Sorry, Ricchan. But hey, can't you just go crawl under his desk and give him a big wet blowjob so he'll quit being mad? Ow!" Ritsu slapped him in the forehead with a copy of Love Star.

"Just drop it!"

"It's just that I can't believe it. How long has this been going on between you two?" They were back up in their chairs now.

Ritsu gave a tired sigh. "Oh, just ten years or so."

Kisa's eyes bugged out of his head. "TEN YEARS?" He realized that he'd raised his voice again, and threw a worried glance back at their boss, but it seemed as if he hadn't noticed. So he lowered his voice and continued. "You've been together that long?"

"No, not the whole time," Ritsu whispered back. "We dated in high school, lost touch for ten years, and now we've picked back up where we left off." Boy, was that ever an oversimplified version of the situation!

"How romantic!" Kisa let out a little squeal. "So..." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Is he kinky in bed? He looks like he likes to get rough."

Ritsu turned beet red. "No... it's not like that at all."

"I don't believe it. He TOTALLY seems like a 'down on your knees and suck me, bitch' kind of guy."

"What?! And anyway... he... he's very g-gentle and sweet to me. N-now, drop it!"

"I can't help it! I'm just so curious about this! It's so exciting! A love affair, right here in our little Emerald editing department!" Kisa clutched his hands together and sighed.

"What about you?" Ritsu turned the tables on him. "I saw you leaving last night with that gorgeous guy." It was Kisa's turn to blush. "What's up with that?"

"Ah... well... you see..."

WHACK! WHACK! In quick succession, Kisa and Ritsu were both smacked on the head by Takano with a rolled up storyboard. They had been so absorbed in their whispered conversation that they hadn't noticed their boss get up from his desk. "Shut up and get back to work! You two can gossip about your sex lives on your own time! Right now, you belong to me!"

"Yes sir!" They both hastened to appear busy.

"Though, Onodera," Takano laid a hand on Ritsu's shoulder and leaned in to whisper in his ear. "YOUR ass is mine, 24/7." He then exited the department, whistling happily to himself, leaving Ritsu a blushing, stuttering mess, while Kisa stifled laughter.

Ritsu shot a look of death at Kisa, which shut him up.

Later on, Ritsu brought some corrected storyboards over to Takano to approve. "Looks good. You can send them back to the author." Ritsu nodded and turned towards the fax machine. "Onodera. What would you like for dinner?"

Ritsu began punching buttons on the fax machine in no particular order. "Oh? Are we having dinner together?"

"Of course. It'll be romantic." Takano smiled widely and leaned back in his chair.

"It's hard to feel romantic when you've been scolded several times by your boss," Ritsu pointed out with a dry laugh.

"Hey, I have to treat you the same as all the other guys. It's only fair."

"I can't have a little bit of special treatment?" Ritsu fumed under his breath. "At least you could stop hitting me on the head all the time! That's domestic abuse!" he muttered.

"Hmmm? What was that about abuse? Listen, if you don't want to be scolded, just do your work properly. It's that easy." Ritsu said nothing as he fed pages into the fax machine. "Well, if you don't tell me something, I'll just choose where we eat dinner."

"I'll pick something! Just give me some time to think," Ritsu huffed, going back to his desk.

"Lovers' spat?" Kisa asked in a singsong voice.

"Don't get started with me," Ritsu hissed.

When everyone was leaving the office that evening, Takano came alongside Ritsu and put his hand on the small of his back. Ritsu stiffened up, walking awkwardly. "You haven't picked a place yet. So let's just go to your place and you can cook for me."

"My place?!" Ritsu exclaimed. "Um, no. That's not a good idea."

"Why, what's wrong?"

"It's kind of messy," Ritsu admitted reluctantly.

"It can't be that bad," Takano chuckled, as the elevator doors slid closed.

Thirty minutes later, they were standing in the entryway of Ritsu's apartment. "'KIND of messy?'" Takano echoed Ritsu's earlier words. "This isn't kind of messy."

Ritsu started to exhale, thinking it wasn't so bad...

"This is a straight up shit hole."

Ritsu's eyes widened and his mouth fell open. "Well, excuse me! The reason I never have the time or energy to clean is because my jerk boss is always piling extra work on me and making me stay late!"

"Excuses, excuses," Takano yawned. "All right, we'll go to my apartment. But you're still cooking." He kicked a pile of trash over as they turned to leave the apartment. "Good God, what the hell is all this shit? Do you ever eat anything other than instant ramen and energy drinks?"

"I don't have time for anything else," Ritsu huffed.

"Back then, you'd never even eaten instant meals or fast food. And now that's all you eat. It can't be good for you."

"I do the best I can!"

"Listen," Takano said as they removed their shoes in his apartment. "You've got to start taking better care of yourself."

"What do you care?" Ritsu asked petulantly.

Takano stepped forward and took Ritsu's face gently in his hands. "Because you're the man I love, and I want you to stay healthy so we'll have a long life together."

Ritsu's face flushed and his heart began beating so hard that he could hear it in his ears.

"Also, if you die and I have to find another editor, it'll be a real pain in the ass."

Ritsu's face fell and he shoved Takano away. "You really know how to ruin the moment!" he shouted.

But Takano just shrugged and moved into the kitchen to rummage through the refrigerator. "Come look in here and see what you can cook me."

"I'm going home!" Ritsu announced, slipping his shoes back on. He was reaching for the doorknob when Takano caught him and turned him around, pressing him up against the door.

"Don't go home," Takano pleaded. He captured Ritsu's lips for a sweet, lingering kiss. "I'll cook for you. But please, stay. I want us to spend the night together." He pressed his forehead against Ritsu's.

"We did that last night," Ritsu mumbled.

"Yes, but..." Takano's mouth found Ritsu's for another deep kiss. "I want you again."

"Again?! Geez, give me some time to recover at least. Not tonight."

"Not tonight?" Takano sounded disappointed.

"No! I absolutely can't!"

"But..."

"Not tonight..." Ritsu said again, quietly. "But, tomorrow... I'll want to." He averted his eyes and blushed.

"All right, I can live with that." Takano brightened up immediately, which made Ritsu very suspicious that it had all been an act. "You'll still sleep over though, right? I promise, sleep is all we'll do."

Ritsu was doubtful, but he nodded. He followed Takano into the kitchen and helped him prepare dinner. They chatted about work; Ritsu took the chance to vent about his particularly difficult new author.

After dinner, they sat and watched television for some time together. Ritsu glanced at the clock. "It's getting late. I'd better go get my pajamas." He started to rise up from the couch.

Takano grabbed him by the wrist. "What do you need pajamas for?"

"Well, I don't want to sleep naked!"

"You did last night." A wolf like smile crept across Takano's face.

"I did that because I had to," Ritsu pointed out, but Takano did not let go of his wrist. Ritsu tried to shake him free. "Look, I'll be cold! And that's not good for my health, right?"

"I'll keep you warm," Takano promised in a slightly sinister way.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Ritsu hissed. He pried open Takano's fingers with his other hand and managed to extricate himself. "Let's just do this some other time." Takano narrowed his eyes at him, and Ritsu let out a little squeak and started to back away. "Okay well thanks for dinner but I've got to go now have a good night!" he said in a rush as he turned and made a mad dash for the door.

He couldn't even get his shoes on before Takano caught him. "Nope. Not letting you go," Takano said firmly. He hoisted the smaller man up like a sack of potatoes and carried him to the bedroom, throwing him down on the bed.

"Hey! I have my rights!" Ritsu protested.

"This is an order from your superior," Takano said. He got over Ritsu on the bed, pinning him in place.

"That doesn't work outside the office!" Ritsu argued. "And furthermore...mmmph!" He was cut off by a smothering kiss.

Takano finally released his lips, and brought his face to the crook of Ritsu's shoulder. "Can't you understand?" he said in a tired sounding voice.

"U-Understand what?"

Takano sighed. "Why I'm afraid to let you go."

Ritsu's eyes widened, and he realized that Takano was trembling. Ritsu wrapped his arms tightly around Takano's back, and they just held each other silently for a full minute.

"I don't ever want to lose you again," Takano said, his voice shaky. "You are the only thing that's ever really mattered to me."

Ritsu felt tears springing to the corner of his eyes. "You're... you're not going to lose me again," he said in a wavering voice. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

Takano let out a long exhale, and then he lifted his head and began planting light kisses all over Ritsu's face. His forehead, his cheeks, his eyelids, and then finally his mouth.

When they finally came apart, Ritsu sat up and peeled off his sweater vest. "All right, then lend me a pair of your pajamas."

Five minutes later, he was gawking down at his clothing. "I'm being swallowed!" he complained. The shirt hung loosely on his shoulders, his collarbones showing in the neck opening. The hem of the shirt was near his knees, and the pants were so long his feet were covered.

Takano covered his mouth a gave a short laugh. "I think you look cute," he said.

"Cute..." Ritsu muttered. He stomped off to the bathroom and washed his face in the sink. "Hey, what about a toothbrush?" he called out.

Takano appeared behind him in the mirror. "Use mine. I've had my tongue in your mouth, so what does it matter?"

"It matters to me!" Ritsu protested.

Takano sighed and rummaged in a drawer until he found a new one in plastic. Ritsu took it, opened it, and began to brush. "That's just a little too intimate for me, thank you very much," he said through a mouth of bubbles. Takano just shrugged and brushed his teeth as well.

They switched out the lights and climbed into bed together. Takano settled in behind Ritsu, pulling him into an embrace with his chin on the top of Ritsu's head. Ritsu tugged the covers up to his neck. "Well, I'm spending the night with you. Are you happy now?" he huffed.

"Very," Takano breathed back, and Ritsu's annoyance fell away completely. He hesitated for a moment, then laid his hand on top of Takano's. Takano smiled unseen, and then gave Ritsu a squeeze. They both drifted off to sleep not long after.


	3. Chapter 3

The next evening at work, Takano returned from an aggravating meeting. "When are they going to start listening to me?" he ranted to Hatori. "We go through this same bullshit over and over, every damn month. I know exactly how many copies will sell, and they lowball me. It's annoying."

Hatori nodded knowingly. "Oh, and here, sir; those manuscripts came by messenger."

"Thanks." Takano looked through them, then glanced over at Ritsu's desk, which was empty. "Where's Onodera?"

Hatori just shrugged and moved away. Kisa looked up from his desk. "Oh, he said he had something to take care of at home, and he left early."

"Left early? He better have finished all his work."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure he did... he gave me his checked storyboards so I could give them a glance through. And he took a couple things home."

Takano pulled at his chin and wondered what Ritsu had to take care of.

Later that night, Takano stepped out of the elevator at the apartment complex. He pulled out his phone and texted Ritsu as he let himself in his apartment. "_Where are you?_"

The reply came fairly quickly, just as Takano was removing his coat and shoes. "_At home._"

"_Well, so am I. Come over,_" he typed out.

The response was rapid. "_No. You come over here._"

Takano snorted and tapped the keys. "_No way. I might get scabies from all the trash. Come over already._"

"_PLEASE come over here! I have a surprise for you!_"

Takano sighed and turned back towards the entrance. He put his shoes back on and walked out to Ritsu's apartment. There, he raised his hand and knocked a couple times on the door.

He could hear a padding of feet from inside, and then Ritsu opened the door just a crack. His hair was sweaty and messy, and he was wearing a dirty looking t-shirt. "You look great," Takano deadpanned. "Is this my surprise?"

Ritsu furrowed his brow, then glanced down at himself and groaned. "Oh, crap. I forgot I look like this. No, that's not the surprise. C-come in." He opened the door wide enough for Takano to step inside.

Takano noticed the difference right away. The apartment was clean. The piles of trash were gone, the dirty clothes were all picked up; everything was neat and tidy. "Smells better too," Takano commented, smiling slightly. "Before, it kind of smelled like our office at the end of the cycle."

Ritsu looked mortified. "Was it that bad?"

"Yeah, it was pretty bad. So this is why you had to leave early? How long did this take you?"

"Three hours. Oh, and I went grocery shopping too." He gestured towards the sparkling kitchen area, where a bowl of fruit rested on the counter. "I bought all kinds of fresh stuff." He looked down at his hands and twisted his fingers. "So, I could make you that dinner you wanted... if you still want it."

Takano stepped forward and ruffled Ritsu's hair. "You're too cute. Of course I still want it." He leaned in and gave Ritsu a kiss. "And I still want you."

Ritsu blushed. "Oh, is that s-so?"

"But first..." Takano ran a fingertip down Ritsu's chest, making the younger man shudder. "Take off this rag and get a shower. You smell disgusting."

Ritsu made a noise of indignation, and then nervously smelled under his arm. "Oh God, I do stink." He hurried off, embarrassed, and Takano heard the bathroom door open and then slam shut. The shower started up seconds later.

Takano sat down on the couch, and stretched out towards the coffee table. Ritsu's bag was here, with some amended storyboards sticking out. Takano pulled them out and began checking over them. After a few minutes, he picked up a red pen from the table and marked a mistake Ritsu had missed.

Ritsu came out from the bathroom after a while, wearing a fresh t-shirt and jeans, and toweling his head. "What are you doing? Oh, those are Mutou-sensei's."

"They look pretty good. I just marked a few spots," Takano commented. He laid them down and looked up at Ritsu. "So what are you making me for dinner?"

"Eggplant curry. From sc-scratch, not from a packet." He hurried into the kitchen and began pulling out ingredients.

About forty minutes later, they were eating together at Ritsu's small two seater kitchen table. "Not bad," Takano said. "You're a pretty good cook."

"Thanks." Ritsu played with the food on his plate for a little bit. "I've always wanted to be able to cook dinner for you like this."

Takano just smiled.

After they finished eating, they sat on the couch together, and Ritsu started to reach for the remote. Takano stilled his hand. "Let's not watch TV. Let's just talk."

"O-Okay," Ritsu stammered. "About what?"

"Tell me all about yourself," Takano urged him. "You know, we really don't know all that much about each other. What have you been doing for the last ten years?"

Ritsu looked down at his hands. "Well... I don't even know where to begin. That's a lot of time to cover."

"I know that you finished high school abroad. Did you like it in England?"

"Yeah, I guess. My English is still pretty horrible, though."

"Did you have a girlfriend while you were there?"

Ritsu looked up at Takano in horror, but the man's face was cool and impassive. "No, I didn't! I've..." He looked away, embarrassed. "I've never really dated anyone... other than you."

"I know about your fiancee, though."

Ritsu groaned and clapped his hands over his face. "When are you going to stop giving me grief over that? I've told you, the whole thing is a plot dreamed up by my parents. I never consented to it. And in this day and age, they can't enforce that kind of thing. She's not really my fiancee."

"Your parents still think so, though."

"It's just easier than having to have a big blowup with them," Ritsu explained. "I'd rather just keep the peace for as long as I can."

"You'll have to tell them one day," Takano pointed out.

"I'm not looking forward to that day," Ritsu mumbled miserably, his head hanging. He gasped as Takano leaned forward and ruffled his hair.

"It'll be all right. And you know what? If you want me to, I'll be there for you."

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"I'd be glad to face your parents with you and tell them the true situation."

Ritsu blanched and waved his hands frantically. "No, no, no. I could never do that. Definitely never do that. I mean, of course I'm never going to marry An-chan, but I could never tell them that I'm..." He trailed off helplessly.

"In love with a man?" Takano raised one eyebrow. "Are you ashamed of it? I'm not."

"No, it's not that I'm ashamed!" Ritsu hastened to explain. "It's just that... my parents are so conservative. They'd never accept it. And they'd probably disown me."

"Would that be such a terrible thing?"

"Of course it would!" Ritsu furrowed his brows together. "I don't want my parents to hate me. That would be horrible. I still want them in my life, no matter how unreasonable they are."

"But they're not in your life that much right now," Takano pointed out. "It's true. You're always ignoring calls from your mother, and have they ever visited you here? No."

"But I still go home for holidays!" Ritsu argued.

"Ah, that." Takano stroked his chin thoughtfully. "You know, I've been thinking about that. I want to spend every holiday with you. So it's going to be a problem if you leave me to go home to them, like I'm your dirty little secret."

"You're not my d-dirty little secret!" Ritsu protested. "It's not like that at all!"

"Actually, it kind of is." Takano gave a weary sigh.

"Well, fine then!" Ritsu exclaimed in exasperation. "If it's so easy for you, then take me to your family and present me as your boyfriend!"

"All right."

Ritsu turned beet red and his eyes went wide. "Wh-what? I didn't think you'd r-really..."

"I'm not afraid of my family, and I really don't care what they think. Honestly, I don't have hardly anything to do with them anymore, but I wouldn't hesitate to show you to them. We'll arrange a time and place, and have a meeting. Ah, but we'll actually have to have two meetings. My mother and father can't stand being in the same room together."

Ritsu mussed up his hair in agony. "No! I'm not ready to meet your parents!"

"Fine. But when you are, I'm ready."

Ritsu collapsed back into the couch, sinking between the cushions with a very red face. "This conversation has gone straight over the cliff..." he groaned.

Takano rubbed his forehead. "I'm sorry. I always seem to do that with you. I don't mean to do it. I want you to feel comfortable talking to me. Please, let's talk about pleasant things instead." He gave a little smile. "Tell me more about England. What was the food like?"

"Oh... errrr..." Ritsu struggled to pull his mind away from the heavy topics they had been discussing. "I ate a lot of fish while I was there. My boarding school was on the seaside... so..."

"I see."

"I liked the fish all right, but they had this one dish they served once a week called steak and kidney pie. It was horrible. I didn't like that at all, so every Thursday I would walk down to the village at the bottom of the hill, and go to the little co-op grocery store that was there. I'd buy a pear and a box of chocolate covered biscuits to eat instead. Not the healthiest dinner... but... it was better than eating nothing."

Ritsu lapsed into silence, so Takano asked another question. "Did you have many friends?"

"Not really. I mostly kept to myself and concentrated on my school work. I... I didn't really want any friends. Not after how I'd been hurt."

"I've told you," Takano said gently, "that it was a misunderstanding. Of course I loved you back then. I wasn't playing around with you."

"I know that now," Ritsu murmured, his face red and his eyes down. "But at the time, I was still terribly hurt. I swore I'd never let someone get close enough to hurt me again. But at the same time... I missed you so much." He rested his chin on his hand and stared off into the distance. "I hated myself for missing you, because in my mind you had just been playing with me, but I couldn't help it. I kept remembering the good times we had... sitting and talking about books for hours... and all the... _other_ things we did together..."

He gasped as Takano took him suddenly by the chin and pulled him in for a kiss. When their lips finally parted, Takano embraced Ritsu tightly. "Oh God, Ritsu..." he whispered. "I missed you so badly, too. I wanted more than anything to see you again. But when I heard you had a fiancee, I thought maybe the whole thing with me was a brief infatuation, or just a phase, and that you thought being with me was just a youthful mistake. I was crushed inside. And with everything else that was going on in my life... both my parents getting remarried, finding out my father wasn't really my father... I just sank into the deepest depression. I started drinking heavily, not going to class... and I'm not proud to admit that I started sleeping around."

Ritsu shifted uncomfortably in Takano's arms. "Oh." He felt horribly jealous to hear this.

"I was trying desperately to find someone who made me feel like you did. But of course, I didn't. And that just made me more depressed." He hugged Ritsu tighter. "It's been a long ten years, Ritsu."

"I know," Ritsu whispered back. He tilted his head up, and their lips met. Ritsu tangled his fingers in Takano's hair as the kiss deepened. Takano groaned into Ritsu's mouth, and pushed him onto his back on the couch.

Takano's hand slipped up under Ritsu's shirt, tweaking one nipple with his cold fingers. Ritsu moaned into the kiss, and wrapped his legs around Takano's waist. They rubbed against each other, getting more and more aroused. Ritsu, for his part, felt desperate with desire to make Takano feel better, to somehow make up for the ten years his misunderstanding had cost them.

Takano broke away from the kiss to bring his lips to Ritsu's neck. Ritsu moaned in pleasure, throwing his head back as Takano made a mark there. Takano's hand slipped in between their bodies to come to Ritsu's waist, where he unfastened the button and zipper of his jeans and plunged his hand inside. Ritsu groaned deeply as Takano's hand found his weeping, tingling erection and began to stroke it.

Ritsu worked his own hand downwards and managed to get Takano's pants open. He slid his hand inside of Takano's boxers and closed it around his hot, throbbing cock. "Mmm... Ritsu..." Takano groaned deeply.

They kissed and stroked each other for a few minutes, until Ritsu came up for air with a gasp. "Takano-san, you'd better stop or I'll..."

"That's what I want you to do," Takano breathed back.

"No, but... I'd... oh God..." Ritsu rolled his eyes back in his head, and then let go of Takano's cock so that he could use his hands to still Takano's stroking of his own. "I want to finish... with... with..." He shut his eyes tightly.

"With what?"

"Don't make me say such embarrassing things!" Ritsu cried. "I... want to finish... with you.. inside of me."

Takano's mouth fell slightly open, and his eyes opened wide. Then he hoisted Ritsu up in one quick movement. "That's it, I've lost it now," he growled as he hefted Ritsu onto the bed. "You can't say sexy things like that and expect me to be able to control myself."

"Takano-san!" Ritsu cried as the man stripped off his pants and shirt desperately. He watched as Takano then ripped off his own clothing and got over him on the bed.

"Where do you keep the lube?" he demanded, the lust burning in his eyes. He was already stroking himself in anticipation.

A look of horror came over Ritsu's face. "Oh no..." he muttered, and clapped his hands over his face. "I don't have any!"

"What!?"

"Well, I've never needed it before! I haven't had sex with anyone but you!"

"But what do you use to masturbate?"

"I d-do it in the shower, always," Ritsu confessed.

"Oh, fuck," Takano groaned. He jumped off the bed and pulled his clothes back on. "Now I have to have that sexy image in my head while I try to hold it together long enough to run back to my place." He grimaced as he carefully zipped his pants up over his erection. He leaned down and pressed a hot, quick kiss to Ritsu's lips. "Don't move a muscle." Then he dashed towards the door. Ritsu heard doors opening and closing, and then Takano reappeared less than a minute later, holding the bottle of lube.

He stripped his clothes back off and got over Ritsu. Takano began lubing up his cock while watching Ritsu's face with hungry eyes, and Ritsu screwed his own eyes tightly shut in embarrassment. "Don't look at me like that!"

"Why, does it scare you?"

"No, but..."

"Oh God, Ritsu, I want you so bad. I need you. Look at me." Ritsu opened his eyes as Takano began fingering him.

Ritsu moaned wantonly, enjoying the feeling. "Feels... good..." he managed to say. His eyelids fluttered and his lips trembled.

"Fuck, Ritsu! You're killing me! I'm about to explode, just looking at you!" Two fingers were in now, twisting impatiently.

"Now," Ritsu gasped. "I need you too. Do it now."

Takano removed his fingers and shoved in his cock with one mighty thrust. Both men cried out loudly in sheer ecstasy, pausing for only a few seconds to savor the sensation. Then Takano began to move his hips. "Ritsu, I hope you're close. Because I can't hang on much longer," he panted, taking Ritsu in hand and stroking him roughly.

"Oh... ohhh..." Ritsu moaned incoherently. His muscles clenched around Takano's cock, making Takano swear through gritted teeth.

"Oh God, that's... too much... I'm sorry..." he managed to choke out as his orgasm was ripped from his body. He let loose a mighty howl of delight. He let go of Ritsu's erection and placed both hands on his thighs as he thrust erratically, riding out the waves of ultimate pleasure.

Ritsu quickly took over stroking himself, and Takano noted with relief through his haze of ecstasy that the old familiar flush was spreading rapidly across Ritsu's throat and chest. "Ah! Ah! Takano...!" Ritsu gave several loud cries and then came all over himself.

Takano slowly thrusted a few more times, and then pulled out. He flopped down on the bed next to a trembling Ritsu, then leaned over and kissed his glistening shoulder. He slipped his hand down to Ritsu's and intertwined their fingers. Ritsu turned his head to look at Takano, giving a crooked, satisfied smile.

They just lay together, quietly looking at each other, until Ritsu wiggled nervously and clapped a hand between his legs. "Ack. I'm leaking..."

Takano's eyes cut from one nightstand to the other. "Geez, no lube, and now no tissues at the bedside? What kind of man are you?"

"A man who does it in the shower!" Ritsu fumed in embarrassment. "That way, there's no clean up!"

Takano just chuckled and got up, going into the bathroom to fetch a washcloth to clean up his lover. Ritsu shuddered and pinked up all over as Takano tenderly wiped him off.

Takano then stood up, pulling on his boxers. Ritsu got up and put on pajamas, which made Takano stifle a laugh. "Do you have a problem with my pajamas?" Ritsu huffed.

"No, I like them," Takano said honestly. "The little yellow ducks suit you."

"My mother bought them for me," Ritsu explained, embarrassed. "I know they look ridiculous, but they're the most comfortable pajamas I've ever owned, and I can't bear to get rid of them." He switched the lamp off, and lifted the edge of the covers to slip into bed with Takano. "And besides, it's not like I thought anybody would ever see me in them."

Takano wrapped his arms around Ritsu and pulled him in close, kissing him on the top of the head. "You're too adorable," he said. Ritsu pressed his red face into Takano's chest. Takano sighed happily and closed his eyes.

The next day at work, Ritsu stood in the doorway and looked towards his desk with curiosity. There was a cute pink and white polka dotted gift bag sitting on the surface. "What could it be?" he wondered as he stepped forward. "Something from an author?"

Kisa, who was already seated at his own desk, was also eyeing the bag. "What's that?" he asked eagerly. "A gift from your lover?"

"No way," Ritsu scoffed. "It's probably just..." His hand was inside the bag now, and his face went white as his hand closed around a small bottle inside. "It couldn't be..." he muttered, and then he looked down into the bag.

It was a bottle of lubrication, sitting on top of a box of tissues. Ritsu shot a mortified glance at Takano, who just grinned cheekily at him.

"Ohohoho!" Kisa started laughing, and it was then that Ritsu realized Kisa's face was nearly next to his own, looking down into the bag.

"Ahhh!" Ritsu screamed and clenched the bag shut. "I'm going to kill him..." he hissed. He stomped over to Takano's desk, and flung the offending bag into his lap. "What the hell is this?"

"Stuff you need," Takano explained simply.

"Couldn't you have given it to me at home?!" Ritsu screeched.

"Oh, that would have been a good idea, wouldn't it?" Takano pretended to be thinking over it seriously.

"It's almost like you WANT everyone to know what we're doing!" Ritsu hissed.

Takano just lifted his hands and spread them out as if to say, "Pretty much."

Ritsu clenched his fists, made a huffing noise, and stomped back to his own desk. "Okay, calm down," he coached himself. "Just focus on your work. What you do at home is at home, and what you do here is here. Don't let him rattle you. That's what he enjoys; don't let it get to you." He let out a long exhale and began typing.

"Hey... Ricchan..." Kisa suddenly said. "What's that?"

"What's what?"

"THAT." Kisa poked a finger into the side of Ricchan's neck. "It looks like you got a hickey."

Ritsu's face went scarlet. "O-O-Oh... it's j-just a bug bite!" he lied. He could hear Takano laughing from across the room, and he banged his head down onto the keyboard. "I'll seriously kill him this time!"


	4. Chapter 4

"Open up."

Ritsu parted his lips and let the spoon slide into his mouth. The strawberry parfait was cool and delicious on his tongue. He lifted his bashful eyes to look at the shaggy haired boy sitting across from him. A slight smile was curling the edge of Saga-senpai's mouth as he dipped the spoon back into the dessert dish and lifted a bite towards his own lips.

"H-Here, senpai, let me," Ritsu said eagerly. He picked up the other spoon from the dish and with a shaking hand, stretched across the table to feed it to his boyfriend.

Saga-senpai licked a wisp of whipped cream off his upper lip and gave that slight smile again, making Ritsu blush. "Almost as delicious as you," he said in a low voice that made Ritsu start to tremble. Saga-senpai reached across the table and took Ritsu's hand in his own. "I love you, Ritsu."

"Senpai... I love you too." Ritsu shut his eyes tight, wishing this moment and feeling of happiness could last forever.

Ritsu was shocked out of his dream by something heavy landing next to his face with a thud. His eyes flew open and he sat up, rubbing his head and looking around in a startled fashion.

Takano was standing over him, his hand on a huge stack of manuscripts. "Oi! Quit sleeping and get to work!"

"Yes! I'm sorry!" Ritsu began sorting through the papers.

"And if you're going to have dreams about me, at least dream about me now! You mumble about 'Senpai' far too much!" Takano admonished him before stalking off.

"I'm sorry!" Ritsu shouted. Kisa began snickering weakly, but Ritsu didn't even have the energy to tell him to shut up.

The Emerald editing staff were in the throes of "hell week." No one had been home in 48 hours, and things were at a breaking point. Tempers were flaring, many tears had been shed, and everyone was beyond exhausted. Ritsu looked at the manuscripts in front of himself with bleary eyes. The end was in sight, but it was hard to focus with so little sleep.

Kisa's desk phone rang, and he answered it with a shaky voice. "Marukawa Publishing, this is Kisa speaking... yes? What's... what's that?" He began to shake all over, and his hand holding the receiver was gripping it so tightly his knuckles were white. "NO. Please don't say that. Yes... I understand." He let the receiver drop and began openly weeping. "This isn't happening, this isn't happening..." he repeated over and over to himself.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Takano bellowed from his desk.

"The flight's been indefinitely delayed..." Kisa managed to say between sobs. "My author was bringing her completed manuscript here, but..."

"Oh, fuck..." Takano groaned. He picked up the phone and began shouting into it about replacement materials.

Meanwhile, Kisa had crawled under his desk and was hugging his knees and rocking himself. "I'm at home, curled up in my bed with Yukina... none of this is happening," he muttered to himself.

Takano came stomping over to him, and Kisa hurriedly pulled his desk chair in to protect himself. Takano ripped it away angrily, and it went spinning across the room. Kisa started crying again, rubbing his knuckles into his eyes like a child. "Pull yourself together!" Takano ordered him. "Aren't you a man?"

"Barely..." Kisa sobbed.

Takano and Kisa continued to bicker back and forth. Ritsu sighed and looked across to Minou. Surely, that neverending cheerfulness would be reassuring.

But Ritsu recoiled in horror when he saw Minou cutting deep, repetitive lines in the manuscript in front of him with a box cutter. A creepy smile was plastered on the man's face as he whispered brightly to himself. "Cut the bad part out, cut the bad part out," Minou said over and over again.

Ritsu held his head in his hands and tried to focus on the work in front of him. "This will all be over soon," he told himself.

Chaos reigned for another four hours, but the team was able to pull everything together at the last possible second. "Good job, everyone," Takano said wearily. The editors pulled on their coats, exhausted, and shuffled out of the office one after another.

On the train, Ritsu collapsed face first into Takano's lap. Takano leaned his head back against the window and passed out. They nearly missed their stop when it came, but managed to get out of the train in time. The usual nine minute walk back to their apartment complex took twice as long because they were walking so slowly, barely able to stay vertical.

They both staggered into Takano's apartment, and after kicking off their shoes, began to shed their clothes one piece at a time as they shuffled lifelessly towards the bathroom. Takano got in the shower first, not even caring that it was cold. "God, I haven't bathed in three days," he muttered as he halfheartedly scrubbed himself. Ritsu stepped into the shower as well, leaning up against the tile wall for support. His eyelids fluttered closed, and he began snoring.

"Here. Wash yourself," Takano yawned, tossing the washcloth towards Ritsu. It landed against his stomach with a splash and then fell to the shower floor. Ritsu stirred in his sleep, waking up slightly and looking confused. "Oi... come on now..." Takano groaned. He picked the washcloth off and began washing the stupefied Ritsu.

Ritsu smiled and leaned heavily into Takano. "Senpai..." he murmured happily, giggling as the washcloth moved over his lower half.

Takano noticed that Ritsu's manhood had stiffened up slightly from the stimulation, and he started to feel aroused himself. It had been 5 days since they had been able to have sex; so despite his fatigue, he was very horny. He helped Ritsu out of the shower, toweled them both off, and led the half-asleep man to the bed.

Ritsu collapsed onto the bed on his back with a relieved sigh. Takano got over him, kissing him. "Hmm? What are you doing?" he mumbled.

"I want you, Ritsu," Takano whispered back.

"I want you too," Ritsu murmured, and then yawned. "But let me just sleep first."

"No, we'll do it quick," Takano insisted. He bumped his almost fully hard cock against Ritsu a few times. "Why won't it go in?" he muttered.

Ritsu finally opened his eyes just a crack. "That's my bellybutton," he explained, looking down his stomach to where the bleary eyed Takano was trying to penetrate him.

"Shit. I _am_ too sleepy to do this. Ugh." Takano flopped on his back next to Ritsu, and they instantly fell into an almost coma-like slumber.

Ritsu was the first to wake up, eleven hours later, blinking against the offending sunshine. He yawned and stretched, then turned on his side towards Takano. The man was still sleeping heavily, his unexpectedly long eyelashes resting against his cheeks. Ritsu hesitated, then stretched out and brushed a stray strand of hair off Takano's forehead. Takano stirred only slightly, furrowing his eyebrows together for just a second.

_How many thousands of hours have I watched this face?_ Ritsu asked himself. For three years, almost every single day, he had hidden behind library shelves and peeked through to watch his senpai reading. Yes, the face had changed slightly since their school days. It was definitely more rugged and masculine than before. But just as achingly handsome as ever. Ritsu didn't think he could ever get tired of looking at that face.

He didn't know how long he had been staring when slowly, those golden-brown eyes began to open. It took Takano a moment to fully focus, and then he gave a crooked smile. "Hey," he said simply.

"Hey," Ritsu replied.

"Were you watching me sleep?"

A blush crept across Ritsu's cheeks. "N-no..." he stammered.

"You're a bad liar," Takano laughed. He reached over, taking Ritsu by the waist and pulling him on top of himself. They lay stomach to stomach, and began kissing leisurely. Ritsu gave a little gasp when he felt Takano's hard cock pressing up into his body.

"Let's do it like this," Takano murmured.

"What, with me on top? I'll... I'll fall off!" Ritsu protested.

"No, you won't. If you straddle me like this and don't make any sudden movements, it'll be fine. Get the lube."

Ritsu nodded and carefully climbed off, then retrieved the bottle of lubrication from its hiding place in the nightstand. He held it out to Takano, but to his surprise, the man shook his head. "I want you to do it, Ritsu."

Ritsu trembled, but popped open the cap. Hesitantly, he dribbled out a little into his palm. "More than that," Takano advised him. Ritsu tipped out more, and then lowered his shaking hand to Takano's cock. Takano let out a lusty groan as Ritsu's slippery fingers made contact. "Yeah. Make me wet," he urged his lover, watching his face with narrowed, lust-filled eyes.

"Now... get yourself ready," Takano whispered.

Ritsu comprehended his meaning, and became very red in the face. "I can't... that's too embarrassing."

"But I want you to."

"O-Okay, but... don't look, okay?"

Takano groaned in desire. "That's the whole point, Ritsu. I want to see you doing it." Ritsu bit his lip and hesitated. "Please, Ritsu. I'm begging you to do it for me."

Ritsu finally nodded, and slowly lowered his hand between his spread thighs. The tip of his slippery finger pressed against his opening, and he shuddered. Then he let out a soft cry as he shoved half his finger in.

"Oh, God, Ritsu," Takano groaned. His engorged manhood twitched with need. "That's so incredibly sexy."

"No, it's not," Ritsu whimpered, with a red face. "It's... embarrassing." He added another finger. "Ahh!"

"It's hot as hell," Takano insisted. "Come on, I can't take it anymore. Straddle me."

Ritsu exhaled raggedly as he removed his fingers, and climbed back up on his lover. He spread his thighs wide and centered himself over the tip of Takano's cock. He placed his hands on Takano's stomach, and trembled as he lowered himself down, slowly impaling himself.

"You're so beautiful, Ritsu." Takano stroked Ritsu's thighs with his hands. Ritsu was moaning and shaking, trying to work his way down.

Takano reached out and stroked Ritsu's erection, making the younger man moan in desire. "Takano-san..."

"You know, it's pretty odd for you to call me that respectful, formal name while you're sitting on my cock," Takano chuckled.

Ritsu opened his eyes and frowned. "What am I supposed to call you? You get mad when I call you Senpai." He had paused in his descent, but had almost enveloped Takano's entire manhood. It twitched and moved inside of him, making him whimper quietly.

"Why don't you try calling me by my first name?"

Ritsu looked surprised. "Eh? I don't know..." He tried to imagine himself saying it outloud, and was lost in thought for a few moments.

Takano moved restlessly. "Well, whatever the hell you want to call me, get moving. You're killing me just hovering there." He thrust his hips upward, easing another inch inside.

"Ah! Wait! I'll move, just give me a second..." Ritsu steadied himself, then began lifting and lowering his body. Takano groaned in pleasurable relief. Ritsu moaned and moved a little faster. They bucked against each other, enjoying the exquisite sensations jolting throughout their bodies.

Takano resumed stroking Ritsu's cock, and used his other hand to tweak one of his nipples. "Oh..." Ritsu cried softly. "It feels... so good..." he whispered breathlessly.

"You're amazing, Ritsu," Takano groaned. He pressed up to meet Ritsu each time he came down. "God... it's so fucking tight."

Ritsu began to move even faster, and at an erratic pace. "Harder..." he panted. "Touch me... harder!" Takano responded by stroking Ritsu roughly. "Oh... God!" Ritsu cried loudly, his body trembling and spasming. His chest and throat flushed rapidly. "I'm... I'm..." he squealed brokenly.

Then he was there, spurting out between Takano's quickly moving fingers. "Masamune!" he cried as he climaxed.

"Ritsu!" Takano pounded his hips upwards into that hot sweetness, finding completion himself.

Ritsu collapsed down onto Takano's chest, breathing hard. Takano gently kissed one red ear, and encircled his arms around Ritsu's back.

They lay like that for a while, and then Ritsu carefully climbed off and cleaned himself up. He settled back down into the crook of Takano's shoulder, hiding his face. Takano sighed in satisfaction. "That was wonderful." Ritsu made a muffled noise, and Takano nudged him. "What's wrong with you?"

Ritsu didn't lift his head."I'm embarrassed," he mumbled.

"What are you embarrassed for? That was amazing."

"I can't believe I actually... called you by your first name. It felt so weird."

"Well, it's even weirder to call me 'Takano-san' in bed, like we're at work. I don't call you Onodera here anymore."

"I know, but..." Ritsu hesitated. "It's not just that."

"What else is it?"

"I can't help but think about how... that's what HE calls you."

"He? Who do you mean?"

"You know who I mean!" Ritsu lifted his head and looked into Takano's face with a slightly pitiful expression. "Yokozawa-san..."

"Oh, don't even worry about that. He's my friend, of course he calls me by my first name."

"But I can't help feeling..." Ritsu broke off and lowered his head back down.

"Jealous?" Takano chuckled, and ruffled Ritsu's head with his free arm. "You're too adorable. Don't be jealous. I don't feel anything for Yokozawa."

"Yeah, but you once did," Ritsu insisted. "And you guys..."

"We what?"

"Did it and stuff."

Takano groaned. "That was just me burning off frustration when I was in the worst time of my life. It wasn't romantic." He reached over and pressed Ritsu's forehead, urging him to look up. "I've never felt romantic towards anyone but you." He looked deeply into Ritsu's eyes as he spoke.

Ritsu shuddered and closed his eyes, tears beading up at the edges. He put his head back down, and threw an arm across Takano's chest, squeezing him tightly. Takano just smiled and embraced him back.

They lay in comfortable silence for a few minutes, then Ritsu spoke. "But... there's one little thing that I've been dying to know."

"What's that?"

"Who was on top, and who was on bottom?"

"Eh!?"

Ritsu spoke in a rush. "I mean, I can't imagine you being on bottom, but Yokozawa-san's so mean and scary, I can't imagine him ever letting someone put it up his ass! I try to imagine how it worked, and I get so confused!"

Takano bonked Ritsu on the top of the head. "Don't imagine it at all, then, you idiot!"

"I can't help it!" Ritsu pouted, rubbing his head. "Please tell me!"

"Are you sure you want to know? I thought you were jealous!"

"Well, I am!" Ritsu huffed. "But I still have to know."

"Fine." Takano sighed. "I was on top."

Ritsu's eyes widened as he tried to imagine the scary Yokozawa getting pounded from behind. He clapped his hands over his face. "Weird!"

Takano bonked Ritsu's head again. "Stop imagining it!"

"I told you I can't help it!" Ritsu cried, and then sharply smacked Takano in the forehead with his open hand. "YOU stop hitting me!"

Takano just laughed and rolled Ritsu onto his back, kissing his mouth and then tickling his sides. "Ack! Stop!" Ritsu protested, between kisses. "Ahahaha!" He managed to get his hands free, and then began tickling Takano back.

After a few moments, Takano paused his laughter. "Uh oh," he said.

"What's wrong?" Ritsu was slightly alarmed.

"I'm hard again." Takano pressed it into Ritsu's thigh for emphasis. "And it's your fault. Take care of it."

Ritsu rolled his eyes, but laid back and allowed his mouth to be pillaged as they began round two.


	5. Chapter 5

Ritsu looked around the classroom, where every single girl was opening gifts of candy and cookies. He sighed. It was White Day, and the tradition was that anyone who gave a gift to someone for Valentine's Day was supposed to receive something in return.

But Ritsu's desk had nothing on it. "I gave Senpai chocolates on Valentine's Day... I had hoped he'd give me something today. But of course there's no way that he would do that." Ritsu sighed again.

The teacher called for the class to line up, and the girls reluctantly stashed away their presents. The students made their way out of the classroom into the hallway for an assembly, and Ritsu trudged along at the end of the line.

"What are you looking so sad for, Ritsu?" one particularly mean kid asked in a mocking voice.

"He's sad because he didn't get anything for White Day!" another boy laughed.

"Ha!" the first kid snorted. "Nobody would ever love Ritsu. He sucks."

Ritsu just hung his head further. "They're right," he thought to himself. "Who would love me? Of course Senpai doesn't really care about me. It's just a game to him." He could feel tears springing to his eyes, and he brushed them away in frustration.

Then he lifted his head as he heard girls at the front of the line whispering excitedly. "Oh God! Look who that is waiting at the end of the hall!"

"He's so hot!"

"I know! And he's got a gift for someone!"

"Oh wow! I hope it's for me!"

"You idiot, an upperclassman would never like you! I bet it's for me!"

"No way!"

Ritsu barely heard their chatter, for his entire being was focused on the person standing at the end of the hall, holding a beautifully wrapped box of cookies. Could it possibly be? His heart was pounding in his chest.

As the line drew closer, Saga-senpai stepped forward. Ritsu felt dizzy and thought he would pass out as Senpai got closer and handed him the box. "This is for you," he said simply.

The students all began talking at once. "Oh my God! Did you see that?"

"RITSU?! Why Ritsu?!"

"This must be a joke."

"It's got to be. A guy like that would never like a loser like Ritsu."

Ritsu clutched the precious box to his chest, looking up at his Senpai with tearful eyes, trying not to hear the derisive chatter around him. Then he almost fainted as Senpai stepped in closer and took a hold of his chin. "I love you, Ritsu," Saga-senpai murmured, and then kissed him sweetly in front of everyone.

"Whoa! Oh my God!"

"Can you believe it? They kissed!"

"An upperclassman likes Ritsu? He's so cool!"

Ritsu's heart soared, and felt like he was going to melt into a puddle. He shut his eyes tightly and sighed.

When he opened them again, he was confused to be staring at a blank wall. He rubbed his eyes for a moment, and sat up. "Oh, I was dreaming again," he realized. "God, I'm so lame. And what was that? What a ridiculous fantasy. They would have kicked us out of school if that had really happened. What the hell is wrong with me?"

He picked up his watch off the nightstand to check the time, and noticed that the date read March 4th. "So today's actually White Day," he mused. "That's why I was dreaming about that. How silly. It's not like..."

He turned to see if Takano was still in bed with him, and that's when he saw the small white box lying there. He picked it up, curious, and opened it. It contained eight small pieces of white chocolate. Ritsu's face turned red. "He did remember..." he whispered.

Ritsu climbed out of bed, holding the box, and walked into the kitchen. Takano was there, already showered and dressed, and he was cooking breakfast. He turned around and smiled when he saw Ritsu. "Happy White Day," he said.

"Thanks," Ritsu mumbled, feeling happy but slightly embarrassed. After all, White Day was a day for girls to receive presents that were white and sweet, like sugar cookies, candy, white chocolate, marshmallows, and even lingerie. But since they were two men, the rules had to be different. It wasn't fair for them to be excluded from a holiday because of silly arbitrary rules like that.

As he thought of the rules of White Day, something occurred to Ritsu. "You know," he said, waggling the box. "You said you'd return the favor triplefold. That's the rule, after all. I gave you a box of chocolates this size. This should be bigger," he teased.

Takano pulled two plates out of the cupboard. "What makes you think that's all you're getting today?"

Ritsu's mouth fell open slightly in surprise. "What?"

"I have lots of things planned for you," Takano informed him. He set a plate of breakfast in front of Ritsu. "White chocolate chip pancakes," he explained with a smile.

Ritsu couldn't help but smile too. "Wow, you are taking this really seriously." He took a bite of the pancakes, which were surprisingly good.

"Well, I'm 28 years old, and this is the first time I've ever gotten to properly do White Day. So yeah, I've got a lot of ideas saved up."

"Oh really?" Ritsu turned his fork over in his hands. "Were you thinking about White Day even back then?" he asked, trying not to sound too eager to hear about it, though he was.

"Of course," Takano said smoothly, and then he gave a wry laugh. "Though I had the most ridiculous idea for it."

"R-really? What were you planning?"

Takano laughed again, leaning back in his chair and looking up at the ceiling. "That I'd give you a huge white teddy bear in front of everyone at school, and declare my love for you."

Ritsu dropped his fork with a clatter, and Takano looked at him in surprise. Ritsu had his hands clapped to his face and was blushing with his eyes averted. "Th-that's..." he trailed off, unable to speak.

"That's what? Too much?"

"No, it's... it's just that I was having similar ridiculous fantasies. I even dreamed about it last night." He stammeringly told Takano a summary of his dream.

Takano nodded in approval. "It seems that we are equally ridiculous. Just as I've always thought. We're perfect for each other." Ritsu turned red as Takano reached across the table and took his hand.

"Y-yeah." Ritsu felt so happy he could die.

Later on at the office, Ritsu returned from a trip to Production to see a huge white teddy bear on his desk. He gave a laughing exhale and glanced over at Takano, who was looking humorously impassive at his desk, his eyebrows raised as if to say he had no idea where it came from. "Onodera, get that ridiculous thing off your desk and get to work, you idiot!" he shouted, but his tone was playful.

"But sir..." Minou spoke up, an apologetic smile on his face. "You put that teddy bear there. I saw you."

"Urk!" Takano looked embarrassed. "Dammit Minou, if you've got time to be watching what I'm doing, you have time to get your shit turned in by the deadline!" Minou just smiled pleasantly and went back to marking a storyboard with a red pencil.

Ritsu just rolled his eyes and hefted the giant bear, who was at least four feet tall, off his desk and onto the floor beside it. He suddenly realized that he hadn't heard a peep from the usually snarky Kisa, but the man was sitting right there. He looked at Kisa, and was surprised to see him huddled over his desk with his hands on his face. "Hey! What's wrong with you? Author crisis again?"

Kisa looked up from his hands, and Ritsu saw that his face was tear stained. "No... it's this card." He gestured to a large, sparkly white greeting card that lay closed on the desk in front of him.

"From your boyfriend? Was it that bad? Or that good?"

Kisa picked it up and flung it at him angrily. "It's not from my boyfriend! It's not for me at all! And that's why I'm mad!" He bawled a little bit more. "It was under that damn bear, and I had to snoop! I didn't even know a man could write something that beautiful! Dammit! Ricchan, you lucky bastard!" He jumped out of his seat and went barreling for the bathroom.

Ritsu watched him in bewilderment, and then finally looked down at the card, which had landed on the floor. He crouched down to pick it up, and his face flushed when he saw that the front read, "_You're the Love of My Life._"

"Oh God..." he murmured to himself. He stayed crouched down on the floor as he opened it cautiously and began to read.

His face went several shades of red as he read through what was written inside. He could feel tears flowing out of his eyes, but nothing on earth was powerful enough to stop that. He managed to come to his feet, and then he staggered over to Takano's desk. "Why... why would you give me something like this at work?" he choked out.

"What?" Takano was genuinely surprised. "You don't like it?"

"That's not the point!" He covered his face. "I can barely function now!"

"Well, I didn't mean for it to affect you like that! I just wrote down what I really feel!"

"Oh God!" Ritsu spun on his heels and fled from the office. He ran into the bathroom and hid in a stall.

He could hear sniffling coming from through the partition. "Ricchan, is that you?" Kisa asked in a tiny voice.

"Yeah." Ritsu took a wad of toilet paper and dried his eyes.

"You're a lucky bastard," Kisa whimpered.

"...I know."

"Ritsu! Ritsu, are you in here?" Takano's voice called from the entrance to the bathroom.

"Yeah, I'm here." Ritsu emerged from the stall, looking embarrassed.

"I'm sorry if what I wrote upset you." Takano put his hands gently on Ritsu's shoulders.

"No, it didn't upset me. I'm very happy. I'm just overwhelmed," Ritsu explained.

"I really meant everything I said. Ritsu, I love you."

"I love y-"

Just then, Kisa came flying out of the other stall. "You two are the worst! I thought Yukina was a lovey dovey bastard, but you two take the cake! It's not right for two lovers to be so perfect! It's not right, it's not right!" He pummeled both of their arms with his balled up fists in frustration.

Two men from other departments entered the bathroom at that time, and immediately backed out. "Ugh... it's those crazy Maidens from Emerald! They're having some kind of shojou drama! Run!"

"Oi! Kisa! Stop!" Takano brought his fist down on the top of Kisa's head, which stunned him into stillness. "All right, I'm sorry. No more romantic stuff at work, I promise," he said to Ritsu.

"Okay, fine." Ritsu exhaled in relief.

"No more for today, I promise."

"Wait, no more for _today_? You can't amend a promise like that! Wait!"

They all returned to their desks. Kisa sank down at his with a gloomy expression on his face. "I didn't get nothing for White Day," he complained.

Just then, a floral deliveryman walked in and announced himself. Ritsu looked up nervously at the huge bouquet of white roses he carried. "What now?" he wondered, though he couldn't help but feel slightly excited knowing they were for him.

"I'm looking for a Kisa?" the man said, shocking everyone. Kisa just stared for a second, then leapt up with the ferocity of a tiger and snatched the bouquet out of the man's arms.

"Mine!" he triumphantly shouted. "Hell yeah! Suck it, Ricchan! You're not the only one who got a White Day present!"

Ritsu just laughed and rolled his eyes. "Feel better now, Kisa?" he asked the petite man, who was opening the small envelope attached to the bouquet.

"Yeah. I feel a little better." He paused to read the card, and teared up happily. "I feel a LOT better!" He gave the roses a deep inhale, sighed loudly, and then plopped down at his desk and began texting.

"Oi! Put that phone away!" Takano bellowed from his desk.

"It's... It's one of my authors!" Kisa lied badly.

"Yeah right," Takano scoffed. "I can see right through you, shrimp. No texting at work! You've got a deadline to meet, now meet it!"

Kisa grumbled and stashed the phone away.

Ritsu settled down and began checking through the latest storyboard. After he was done, he passed it over to Minou for a second check. Then he looked around, and reached underneath his laptop to where he had hidden the card. He slid it out and cracked it open.

Inside, it read:

_Ritsu,_

_You were the first, and the only person I have ever loved. The way I feel about you can't be described in mere words, but I will still try. You make my heart race and my soul complete. Without you, I am nothing. It will take an eternity for me to give you the amount of love you deserve, so I hope that's what we'll have together._

_All my love,  
__Masamune._

Ritsu trembled and sighed happily. Then he gasped when he glanced to the right and saw that Kisa was leaning over his shoulder, rereading it as well. "Who would have thought old Shouty McMeanPants had that in him," he sighed.

"Would you get out of here?" Ritsu shoved Kisa's face off his shoulder, and stashed the card away with a huff. Minou passed the checked documents back to him then, so Ritsu stood up and headed to the fax machine.

When he came back to his desk, there was a box lunch sitting there. He looked around for Takano, and just saw a glimpse of him exiting the department. "Where is he hiding all this stuff?" he marveled.

The bento box itself wasn't white, but it was tied with a white ribbon. Ritsu untied it while Kisa looked over curiously. "Wow, he even made you lunch."

"Breakfast too," Ritsu added, cracking open the box.

"Whoo, he's really taking this seriously. Well, I guess that's how Takano-san is. He doesn't do anything half-ass, even roma- what the hell is in there?" Kisa blurted out.

"It's... it's an all white lunch," Ritsu said, sounding a little scared.

"That's really sweet that he wanted to stick to the theme, but are those marshmallows? On top of raw squid?"

"With steamed rice and sliced bananas..." Ritsu closed the lid with a sigh.

"No, no, you'd better eat it," Kisa advised. "He'll be hurt if you don't."

"What? Why? It's horrible!"

"Shhh! He's coming back!" Kisa warned Ritsu. Ritsu opened the box back up and warily took out the chopsticks as Takano ruffled his hair in passing.

"Oh God, this is probably going to kill me," Ritsu muttered. He decided to start with the squid, brushing the marshmallow off before popping it in his mouth. "Actually, it's not that bad." He smiled at Kisa.

"I hate you," Kisa mumbled. "It should at least taste bad. You lucky bastard."

"You should put those roses in some water," Ritsu countered, reminding Kisa that he wasn't a totally unloved loser. Kisa scurried off to find a vase.

That night, as everyone was finishing up their work, Takano walked over to Ritsu's desk. "Are you going to be done soon? We have a dinner reservation at 9."

Ritsu glanced at the clock, and hastened to finish what he was typing. "All done!" he announced.

"Good. Let's go." They put on their coats, and headed for the elevator. Once the doors closed, Takano reached over and took Ritsu's hand. "I love you," he whispered, squeezing it slightly.

Ritsu turned his head away to hide his embarrassed but pleased smile.

Once at the restaurant, they settled down in a small, cozy booth. There was a dozen white roses already on the table. "I had them sent here, after Kisa got his roses," Takano explained. "And plus I had promised no more romantic stuff at work."

The waiter set down an ice bucket containing a bottle of champagne. Ritsu and Takano were sipping from glasses moments later. "Wow, there are a lot of couples here," Ritsu marveled.

"Well, it is a romantic holiday, after all," Takano replied.

"Yeah, but..." Ritsu looked around more. "We're the only pair of guys here." He gave a little frown. "Are we that odd?"

"We're not odd at all. We're special." Takano smiled and topped off their glasses.

"Don't you think people will look at us funny?"

"Let them look. Maybe they have never seen an example of true love before. They might learn something." He reached across the table and took Ritsu's hand. Ritsu gave a smile and looked up into Takano's eyes. Suddenly, he wished dinner was over, and that they could go home right away. Not because he wanted to be out of sight of people, but because he wanted to be alone with Takano. Very alone.

"Have you looked over the menu yet?" the waiter's pleasant voice suddenly cut in.

"Oh! I, um..." Ritsu nearly toppled his champagne glass in his haste to get his hand free of Takano's and pick up the menu. "I'll have the lobster tails."

"Very good, sir. And you?" Takano ordered the steak, medium rare.

When the waiter walked off, Ritsu spoke up. "You like steak, right?"

"Yeah. I like meat."

"Yeah, you've said that was your favorite food. But what kind of meat exactly?"

"All kinds of meat."

"But which meat is your favorite?"

A sly smile began spreading across Takano's face, and Ritsu immediately regretted his question. "Ritsu meat."

"You pervert," Ritsu muttered, but Takano just laughed.

"It's true though. I love eating you up," Takano said in a low voice.

"Don't I know it. I still have teeth marks on my thigh from when you got too frisky the other morning."

"What morning?"

"The one where we slept in until noon. After hell week."

"Oh, I remember that morning." Takano leaned back against the cushions and smiled. "I made you come four times."

"Stop! Don't say that aloud!" Ritsu hissed.

"But I'm proud! Four times in one morning!"

"I was really built up," Ritsu huffed. "It had been ages."

"The third time was definitely the best. You were spread back on the bed, trembling and begging for more. Just like our very first time."

"I wasn't - !" Ritsu protested. "I wasn't... BEGGING for it!"

"You most certainly were! 'Masamune! Please...put your mouth on it!'"

"Well, I may or may not have said that the other day," Ritsu pouted stubbornly. "But I did not beg for it back then! I was as scared as a rabbit!"

"Oh no," Takano laughed. "That's not how I remember. You had your eyes shut tight, of course, but you were muttering, 'Oh, please, please, please!'"

"PLEASE will it stop hurting!" Ritsu explained.

"Eh?" Takano's face fell. "Now you're ruining my happy memories. Boo."

"Well, I'm not saying that it didn't feel good," Ritsu hastened to say. "Eventually! But yeah, it hurt at first! I mean, you were shoving something pretty big up where..."

"Excuse me, sirs..." the very embarrassed waiter was saying, as he laid down their plates. Ritsu blushed and moved back so he could set it down.

They dug into their food as Takano thought of something. "Say, do you remember that one book I read in 11th grade? The one about the panda who had a bad attitude? What was that called?"

"Between the Bamboo Leaves," Ritsu said without hesitation. "That was a weird one. I really started to wonder if I was stalking the right guy when I got to that one."

"Hey!"

They continued to argue amiably throughout their meal. After the plates were cleared away, the waiter presented a garish dessert dish. It had a slice of cheesecake with large white chocolate hearts sticking out, and two white sparklers going full blast. "Excuse me, but we didn't order this," Ritsu said apologetically.

"It's compliments of the table in the corner," the waiter explained. Ritsu glanced over, and saw none other than Isaka-san, the president of the company, waving to him cheerfully. "The gentleman says, 'With compliments on a fantastic love match. Happy White Day.'" He set it down and walked off.

"See, we're not the only male couple in here," Takano pointed out. Indeed, Isaka was with his secretary-lover, Asahina. "Doesn't that make you feel better?"

"A little bit," Ritsu admitted. He dug into the dessert. "It's good. Isaka-san is a pretty nice guy."

Takano picked up the other spoon, but Ritsu was surprised when instead of feeding himself, he offered the spoon across to Ritsu. "Wh-what are you doing?"

"Well, I always had this fantasy about us going to a cafe and feeding each other dessert."

Ritsu lowered his head until his bangs dipped into his eyes. "...Strawberry parfait."

"Eh?"

"...It was supposed to be a strawberry parfait." Ritsu lifted his head and looked at Takano nervously. "That's what I always imagined."

"Well, cheesecake will have to do," Takano insisted. "Open up. God, I love telling you that. Makes me feel young again."

Ritsu just rolled his eyes and accepted the bite. He offered the same to Takano. "God, I can't believe I'm actually feeding you," he whispered, half to himself.

Isaka appeared at their table then, cheerful as ever. "You two are too damn cute!" he said brightly. "I love it so much!" He bent at the waist, and placed his elbows on the table, then his chin on his fists. "So how long have you been doing it?"

"Ten years." Both men said it in unison.

"Uwhoa!" Isaka exclaimed. "That's as long as Kaoru and me! But seriously?"

"Well..." Ritsu glanced at Takano. "We... uh... dated in high school and we're together again now. Just for the last few weeks."

"I love it!" Isaka cheered. "Lost love found once again! And don't let anything that happened in between get in the way! We didn't let it. Even if maybe I slutted it up with about seven... hundred guys. True love conquers all!"

Asahina came up then, taking Isaka by the back of his collar and pulling him up. "Is this character bothering you?" he asked in that calm, impassive voice.

"We're fine," Ritsu started to say, but Isaka was already talking.

"Aw, leave me be," Isaka pouted. "I was just advising these young lovers on loooove."

"You're drunk," Asahina sighed. "Let's go back to our table."

"Noooo! I was having fun!" Asahina started to tug him off. "No, Kaoru! Oh, please! Crap, I see that look in your eyes." His voice got fainter as they moved farther away. "I'm getting the cuffs tonight, aren't I?"

Ritsu stifled laughter. "Whoo, they are quite a couple," he said.

"No kidding," Takano replied. "I've been seeing their antics ever since I started working for Marukawa. It's entertaining."

"Is the company okay with a guy like that in charge?"

"Oh yeah. He's always sober at work. He just likes to cut loose afterwards." Takano signed the check, and laid his napkin aside. "Are you ready to go?"

"Mmm," Ritsu assented, taking one last long swig of champagne. He grabbed up the roses and then stood up. He was feeling pleasantly buzzed as he picked up his teddy bear from the coat check.

"I can't believe you're going to take that thing home," Takano laughed. He was now carrying the roses. "You could have left it at the office. He would have fit in there with the decorations."

"It's a treasure to me," Ritsu mumbled. "The prize I never got ten years ago."

"I should have brought the car today," Takano mused as they stepped outside. "You'll have to carry it on the train."

"It's fine. It'll be fun, won't it, Shiro-chan?"

"Oh, and you've even named it." Takano was amused. They had reached the train station, and boarded soon after.

Ritsu could hear girls giggling as they saw him with the bear. "You're just jealous," he muttered. The alcohol had really started to work on him, and he never held his liquor well. He hugged the bear's neck tightly with one arm, and reached over for Takano's hand with the other. "You're just jealous because I'M dating an upperclassman!" he challenged the three girls across from him.

The girls began to giggle harder. Takano rubbed his forehead. "What was I thinking, giving you alcohol? I forgot you were a silly drunk."

"I know I may LOOK like a loser, but I'm not!" Ritsu continued. "I'm not even a virgin anymore!" He gestured to Takano. "I did it with THAT guy," he added in a stage whisper. "Believe it or not."

"These poor girls are getting the show of their life," Takano sighed. Ritsu had fallen quiet, so he urged him on. "Go on, what else?" He had to admit he enjoyed Ritsu's drunken antics. It was the only time he was so candid.

"And I'm probably... No, I'm definitely! Going to get more sex from him tonight. You can take that to the bank. And cash it." The girls erupted into laughter.

Ritsu continued to blather on until their stop, where Takano helped him off. The walk up to the apartment sobered him up a bit, and he was back to normal by the time they were kicking off their shoes. "What was I saying on the train?" Ritsu wondered, rubbing his head. "I think I dreamed something weird."

"Definitely a silly drunk," Takano concluded. "Come on, the night's not over." He took the bear from Ritsu, and gestured toward the bathroom. "Why don't you get a shower?"

Ritsu was slightly suspicious, but went along with it. He went into Takano's bathroom, shut the door ("have to keep SOME mystery" he told himself), and stripped off his clothes. Then he took a quick shower.

When he got out, he was alarmed to realize his clothes were missing. "He came in here while I was in the shower!" Ritsu realized. "But why didn't he get in with me? Hmm? What's this?"

A small, shiny white box rested on the counter. Ritsu opened it up, looked through the contents, and then marched out with a towel around his waist.  
"I am NOT wearing that!" he shouted at Takano.

"Aw, why not? It'll be sexy!"

"Fine... but!" Ritsu disappeared back into the bathroom, and then reemerged with the white silken bikini briefs on. "There! Are you happy?" he huffed, his hands on his hips.

"Very," Takano breathed. He looked Ritsu up and down approvingly. "Sexy." He held up a small white gift bag. "One more present," he said.

"You really went overboard, you know it?" Ritsu snatched the bag and looked inside. "What is this?"

"Marshmallow flavored lube," Takano said innocently. He removed his glasses and laid them to the side.

"Oh! And I suppose you want me to lick that off your body?"

"Wrong." Takano pushed him down on the bed and grabbed the bottle. "I'm going to lick it off of yours."

"Eh?! W-wait..." Ritsu protested. Takano had flicked the bottle open and was anointing Ritsu's nipples with it. "Oh..." Takano lapped up the sweet fluid and then took one nub in between his teeth, teasing it. "Ahhhh..." Ritsu moaned helplessly.

"Your nipples have always been a weak spot," Takano commented. He dribbled a little bit down to Ritsu's navel, and then licked it off. He swirled his tongue around inside Ritsu's bellybutton.

"Ah! That tickles!" Ritsu giggled. He gasped as Takano pulled down his briefs.

"You're already so hard," Takano murmured.

"Th-that's because you... oh..." Ritsu broke off into a moan as Takano poured the flavored lube onto his cock in a zigzag line. His tongue then followed the pattern, snaking up the length of Ritsu's erection. He took the head into his mouth and sucked the sweet flavor off.

"Oh, God..." Ritsu moaned. He reached down and tangled his fingers in Takano's silky black hair. Takano began to bob his head, engulfing and then releasing the entire length. Ritsu screamed in delight.

It continued on for a few minutes, with Ritsu's breathing getting more and more erratic. "Ooooh... Ta... I mean, M-Masamune..." Ritsu groaned.

"I love hearing you say that," Takano took his mouth off to say. He stroked Ritsu firmly with his hand, and teased the slit with his tongue. "Say it again."

"Masamune..." Ritsu looked down with a very red face.

"Again." Takano stroked harder.

"Masamune!"

"Again!" Takano demanded.

"Masamune!" Ritsu arched his back and screamed out his lover's name as he climaxed. Takano quickly covered the head with his mouth, catching the eruption. He sucked it gently to get it all out, then began removing Ritsu's briefs entirely as Ritsu melted back into the bed.

"What are you doing?" Ritsu asked as Takano pushed one leg up and back.

"I'm not done tasting you," Takano purred, then dripped lube over Ritsu's entrance.

"Oh, God, no..." Ritsu moaned. "Don't. It's gross."

"It's not," Takano countered, and then lowered his head. His tongue snaked out and flicked at the tiny opening.

"Oh God!" Ritsu's whole body went rigid. His eyes rolled back in his head and he clawed desperately at the sheets. His toes curled as well as Takano pleasured him. "Masa...mune..." he whined, his body white hot with desire.

"You like that, eh?" Takano murmured, his breath ghosting over Ritsu's sensitive flesh. He pushed his tongue inside, making Ritsu scream.

"Yes! Yes!" Ritsu had completely abandoned any embarrassment now. He writhed on the bed as Takano continued to lick him, and cried out in pure pleasure.

"Oh, Ritsu, I need you now," Takano growled, rising up onto his knees between Ritsu's legs. He unbuckled his belt and removed it, then unfastened his pants and opened them up. His cock was swollen and weeping inside. "Look, Ritsu. See how excited your voice made me."

Ritsu looked with half closed, lust filled eyes. He spread his legs wider and tilted his hips up.

"I see that you want me too," Takano whispered. He quickly lubed himself up, then lowered his hips, pressing the head of his cock against Ritsu's already dripping entrance. "Ritsu..." He shoved the head inside with a strong thrust.

"Ah!" Ritsu gripped Takano's back as he was penetrated.

"God, you're so hot inside," Takano murmured, pulling out half an inch before pushing back in further. He nuzzled Ritsu's neck. "It feels so good."

"Mmm..." Ritsu moaned.

They clung to each other as Takano thrust in and out. "Ritsu... do you think you can come again?" Takano breathed in his ear.

"Y-yeah..."

"Good." Takano slipped a hand between their bodies and stroked Ritsu. The front of his thighs slapped against the back of Ritsu's with each thrust.

Ritsu trembled and threw his head back. "Masamune!"

"Ritsu!"

They cried out in unison as they both climaxed. It took a full minute for them to ride out the waves of ecstasy, and then Takano sank down into Ritsu, sighing with happiness.

They lay there for a few minutes. "Well, did you use up all your White Day ideas now?" Ritsu asked.

"I still have more for next year," Takano assured him. Their lips met for a sweet kiss.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Thanks to Kagomes Kit for the idea about a high school reunion!**

Takano snorted and dropped the envelope in the trash. "Ha. Like I would go to that."

"Go to what?" Ritsu looked up from his laptop. He was getting some work done at Takano's place on their day off, while Takano went through the week's build up of mail.

"Ten year high school reunion. I can't believe they even invited me. I mean, I didn't actually graduate with everyone else, since I moved to Kyushu halfway through the year."

"I want to go!" Ritsu set his laptop aside and rose up on his knees, eyes bright.

Takano was startled by his eagerness. "Eh? Why?"

Ritsu composed himself slightly. "Well... you know. It'd be nice to see everything again. The auditorium, the classrooms, the l-library..."

"Hmmm..." They both lapsed into silence, having vivid memories of that one time they made love in the library. Takano fished the paper out of the trash. "Well, it's decided. We're going."

"R-Really?"

"Of course. I want relive some happy school moments. Namely, nailing you against the biographies bookshelf."

"Hey!"

And so, one week later, they were making their way up that old familiar walkway leading to the school. "It looks so different at night," Ritsu commented. They were attending a cocktail party in the school auditorium, held after hours so as not to interfere with school, which was currently in session.

"I was here plenty at night," Takano said. He had stayed after hours in the library as many nights as he could, until they kicked him out, to avoid going home to his empty house. "But you're right, I didn't really see it at night like this, because I was walking away from it."

"I walked up to it one night," Ritsu said in a small voice. "That time I brought you an umbrella."

Takano chuckled fondly. "How could I forget that night?" He smiled over at Ritsu. "That's the night I realized that I was starting to fall in love with you."

Ritsu blushed. "Really?" He looked very pleased.

"But say, why did you run away after I tried to hold your hand? You weirdo."

"Because!" Ritsu huffed. "You can't just touch a man when he's on fire! It was too much for my system to handle, so I just had a total overload, and... exploded." He cast his eyes downward.

Takano furrowed his brow as he thought. "Wait, did you... jizz in your pants when I touched you?!"

Ritsu looked mortified. "Y-You should have given me some sort of warning that you were going to touch me!"

Takano covered his mouth and tried to stifle his laughter. "Oh. It's true. You are too, too adorable for life."

"Anyway, forget it ever happened!" Ritsu insisted.

"No way. I'm gonna figure out a way to make you come again by hand holding alone. Now how did I do it? Was it this way?" He took hold of Ritsu's hand and then slipped his fingertips sensually across Ritsu's palm.

Ritsu jerked his hand away. "Stop it! We're at school!" he hissed. They were stepping inside the building now.

"I know, and you know how horny it makes me."

"Stop!"

People were milling about at the entrance. A large table was set up, where people were picking up their name badges. Ritsu and Takano got in line. Takano's read "Masamune Saga (Takano)." They had amended his name much like they did for girls that were now married. Ritsu's name tag was a plain blue one for guests, and read, "Ritsu Onodera (Class of 2004)." Takano, like the rest of the invites, had graduated in the class of 2002.

They went into the auditorium, where they both got a glass of wine from the bar. "Now, sip it, don't chug it," Takano advised him. "You are an exceedingly silly drunk and I don't want you to embarrass yourself."

"I won't," Ritsu promised irritably. He looked around. "I don't recognize anyone."

"How would you?" Takano pointed out. "Not only were you not in this class, but I think you had blinders on for anyone but me. I doubt you'd recognize your own classmates, or even your teachers."

"You're right," Ritsu admitted. "Boy, I really wasted three years of my life being a stalker, didn't I? I could have put that energy into being in a club, or learning an instrument."

"You did learn an instrument."

"No I didn't. What are you talking about?"

Takano began to smile slyly, and Ritsu groaned before the words were out of his mouth. "I taught you to play the skin flute."

"Oh, shut up." Ritsu rolled his eyes. "I didn't even learn to play that until last month."

"Well, you eventually learned. And now you're a master at it." Takano sipped his wine and waggled his eyebrows at Ritsu, who tried to fight a smile.

"Oh!" A woman's voice broke them out of their private conversation. "Saga-kun?" Takano and Ritsu turned to see a petite brunette smiling in front of them. "Do you remember me?"

Takano peered through his glasses at her name tag. "No, sorry, I can't say that I do."

She sighed in disappointment. "Oh. Well, I sat behind you in history class. I also... asked you out one time. Do you remember that?"

Takano thought hard. "Oh, that's right. You had braided pigtails then."

"That's right!" She seemed cheered up. "Anyway..." She looked curiously at Ritsu. "Who are you?" she asked politely. "Oh, you were class of 2004? Why did you come?"

"He's my boyfriend," Takano explained before Ritsu could say anything.

"Oh. Oh!" Awakening dawned in the woman's eyes. "Oh, you do not know how much better that makes me feel." She sounded relieved. "For ten years, I've been thinking that I just wasn't pretty enough!" She impulsively reached forward and grasped Ritsu's hands. "So that's what it was." She released his hands and walked off, humming happily to herself.

"That seemed to have taken a load off her mind," Ritsu commented as he watched her go. "But really? She asked you out?"

Takano shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."

"Was it before or after we started going out?"

Takano had to think a bit. "That's hard to say, because it was so vague between us at times. I agreed to go out with you right away, but you made it clear that you didn't really believe we were going out. Even up until our last time together, you were asking me, 'Senpai, are we going out?' I just couldn't believe that you didn't already understand that we were."

"Well, excuse me! I just couldn't tell if you were kidding with me or what! It's not like you were saying 'I love you!'"

"I told you I loved you right after I came inside of you for the first time," Takano deadpanned, making Ritsu choke on his wine.

Ritsu coughed frantically. "Okay, I thought maybe you might have said that," he managed to say when his throat was clear. "But you mumbled so much, anyway!"

Their attention was drawn then by the chatter of two men who had walked up to the bar behind them. "Really? That guy turned out to be gay? I always thought he'd end up a serial killer, but not gay."

"Saga-kun? Come on, he wasn't THAT weird. Just anti-social."

The men went on talking as they waited to order, apparently not realizing the subject of their conversation was standing very close by. Ritsu's mouth fell open, appalled, but Takano silently shushed him with a wave. He looked amused to hear them.

The first man continued insistently. "He totally looked like a murderer. The way he was always hanging around after dark... that time Fuyuko-chan went missing, I thought maybe he'd..."

"Aw, come on. She just ran off with that loser who worked at the gas station."

"Yeah, but at the time! I almost went to the principal about it. Oh well, turns out was just moping around looking for dicks to suck." They both started laughing, and turned around to exit the bar. Unfortunately, this ran them right into Ritsu and Takano. "Oh!" The first man exclaimed. "Aren't you S-Saga...?" He looked extremely embarrassed.

Ritsu was fuming, about to tell him off. But Takano just gave a creepy chuckle. "That's me," he confirmed, then he suddenly threw his hands out in a menacing way and completely startled the man. "The night-time dick burglar!"

"A-ah!" the man cried, spilling half his beer on himself. He hustled away, completely flustered, and the second man followed after him, looking back apologetically. Takano was left laughing loudly, while Ritsu clapped a hand to his own forehead.

"Ah, Ritsu. You were right. This is fun. I'm so glad you made me attend." He smiled gratefully at Ritsu and reached over to squeeze his free hand.

"THIS is your idea of fun?" Ritsu marveled. "You are so, so weird." He gave a resigned shrug and then quickly drained his wine glass. "Might as well get drunk," he reasoned. "Can't get any more embarrassing than that!" He turned to the bartender. "Pour me another," he demanded.

Takano just laughed again, then he turned his head as he heard someone calling his old name.

"Saga-KUN!" A very irate woman, who was clearly quite intoxicated already, stomped up to him. "I just heard from Kimiko Hatsubara that you are GAY!"

Takano peered down at her. "Who are you?" he asked, sounding bored.

She was miffed. "Um, hello! Hana? Does that ring a bell?"

Takano looked up at the ceiling, and back at her. "Did we go out in 11th grade?"

"Yes! So what are you saying, that I was THAT bad that I turned you gay?" She folded her arms and glared at him.

"No, honestly I barely remember you. It's more like he was THAT good." He jerked his thumb over at an embarrassed Ritsu, who proceeded to chug his entire second glass of wine out of anxiety.

Hana turned her angry stare on Ritsu, then gasped and began pointing at him. "You! You! I recognize you! You're that kid who was always following him around at the beginning of senior year!" She began cackling derisively. "Oh, how pathetic, Saga-kun. Really? You were that desperate that you got together with your silly little stalker? Losers!" She stomped off before either of them could say another word.

"Wow, the world is full of all kinds of people," Takano ruminated.

"Did you do it with her?" Ritsu asked timidly.

Takano snorted. "Hell no. I mean, we fooled around, but I wasn't that interested. She was always talking about how we'd get married one day, and that bored me. She invited me over one night when her parents were out of town. I knew what she wanted, but well..."

"What happened?"

Takano grinned. "I stayed up all night looking through her dad's collection of classic literature."

Ritsu laughed and rolled his eyes. "Yep, that sounds like you."

Takano nodded. "Well, I'm about done here, how about you?" he asked Ritsu.

"Yeah." Ritsu set down his empty wine glass on a tray, and they headed for the exit.

They were stopped, however, by a nervous looking woman with glasses. "Um, Saga-kun?" she asked tremulously.

"What now?" Ritsu sighed. He didn't want to meet anymore of Takano's exes.

The woman looked at Ritsu, and then nodded frantically. "I thought it was you two!"

"Eh?" Both men were surprised.

"You guys probably don't remember me. My name is Chiemi, and I was the library monitor."

"Ohhh..."

She clasped her hands together, and went on quickly. "I saw how you were always hovering around the book return and snatching up the books Saga-kun returned," she said. "I thought it was just so sweet, like something out of a manga. I really cheered you guys on. So I'm so happy to know that you finally got together!" She smiled at the ground, and then hurried away.

"Well, at least somebody wanted us to get together," Ritsu murmured, watching her go. "That was nice." They left the auditorium hand in hand, not caring who was looking.

As they headed for the front doors, Takano made a sharp left, startling Ritsu. "Wait, where are we going?"

"Don't you know?" Takano pointed. "The library is this way."

Ritsu blushed deeply. "Oh y-yeah. I wanted to look at it again."

They walked down the dimly lit hallways until they came upon the library door. Takano tried the knob and was pleased to find it unlocked. He smiled back and Ritsu and waggled his eyebrows, then led them inside.

The light in the entryway was on, shedding enough illumination for Ritsu to see the librarian's desk clearly. He flipped through a few returned books on the cart. "Hmm, they use a computer system now," he commented, running his thumb over the laminated bar code on one. "That would have made it hard to do my stalking."

"Nah." Takano shrugged and jingled the keys in his pockets. "You would have just figured out a way to hack the system and print out a list of all the books I'd checked out."

Ritsu laughed. "Yeah, you're right." Takano crossed over to the door and locked it behind them. "Eh? What are you doing?" Ritsu asked tremulously, though he already knew the answer.

"We're gonna... reminisce." Takano took him by the hand and led him over to the low shelf that housed biographies underneath the large window that overlooked the courtyard, then he embraced Ritsu. "Remember how the school orchestra was practicing outside that day?" he whispered in Ritsu's ear.

"Oh, were they?" Ritsu pressed his forehead into the top of Takano's chest.

"You didn't hear the music?"

"Yeah, I heard beautiful music playing," Ritsu admitted. He tilted his head upwards. "But I thought I was just imagining it."

Takano smiled happily, his eyes shimmering. "My little Ritsu."

"Senpai," Ritsu murmured, and then their mouths met. Takano slowly slipped his tongue inside of Ritsu's parted lips and lovingly explored him. Ritsu moaned softly into the kiss. His hands slid up Takano's back to wrap around his neck, pulling him in closer.

They sank down to the floor together, legs intertwined. Takano broke his mouth away to kiss Ritsu's neck, making the younger man gasp. Ritsu's hands came around front and petted Takano through his trousers. Takano groaned in desire. "You're already so hard," Ritsu murmured approvingly. He deftly unfastened Takano's pants and worked his cock out, then came onto his hands and knees so that he could begin sucking it.

Takano moaned in pleasure, throwing his head back. Ritsu slid his mouth up and down, doing his best to please his lover. "Oh God, I always dreamed of getting this from you here," Takano groaned.

Two minutes of intense oral administrations commenced. Takano began grunting deeply and jerking his hips convulsively. "Oh, Ritsu. Ri... tsu... Ah! Ah! Ritsu!"

Ritsu swallowed and came up with half lidded eyes. Takano leaned forward and captured his lips hungrily, diving his tongue in to taste himself there. Ritsu pulled away after a moment, looking embarrassed. "Don't kiss me after I've done that," he protested weakly.

"Why not?" Takano murmured. He was already pushing Ritsu onto his back and getting his pants unbuttoned and unzipped.

"It's gross."

"Nothing we do together is ever gross," Takano assured him. "Because I love you."

"I love you too," Ritsu breathed out, then he moaned as Takano took half his erection into his mouth. "Oh, God!" He thrust his hips upward awkwardly. "Masamune..."

Takano took his mouth off for just a moment and gave a little chuckle. "Just for tonight... it's okay to call out 'Senpai'," he assured Ritsu.

"S-Senpai..." Ritsu moaned as Takano resumed pleasuring him. "Senpai!"

Takano smiled with his mouth full, swirling his tongue around the head. He stroked the base and then licked at the slit teasingly. "My adorable little Ritsu," he murmured, then took Ritsu's entire manhood down his throat in one smooth movement.

Ritsu gave a strangled cry and arched his back. "Oh!"

Takano worked fervently to bring his beloved to completion. Ritsu squirmed more and more until his whole body was shuddering constantly. "Senpai... Senpai!" he cried out. "I... love you!"

Takano accepted the hot rush of fluid into his mouth with deep satisfaction. He drank of it, and then rose up, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Then he sank down onto Ritsu, embracing him on the floor. "I love you, too," he whispered into Ritsu's ear.

They lay together, breathing heavily. "I heard the music again this time," Ritsu said after a while.

Takano chuckled and kissed him. "I think I heard it too."

Unfortunately, what they didn't hear was the janitor's keys unlocking the door and his footsteps as he came inside. So there were three people in total shock just a few seconds later. Ritsu's eyes opened wide and his mouth gave a silent scream. Takano just gripped Ritsu protectively. And the janitor stared, stupefied at the two very attractive men hugging each other on the floor with their pants unfastened.

The first one to regain his senses was Ritsu. He shoved Takano off of himself and began setting his clothes right. Takano quickly followed suit, and the janitor began stuttering. "Hey, g-g-get out of here, you two! I gotta c-c-clean this place!"

Ritsu and Takano were standing now, and they hurried past the confused man. "Sorry about this!" Ritsu shouted out, then they burst through the door and back out into the hallway, where they ran for the exit.

"The nighttime dick burglar strikes again," Takano panted laughingly.

"Oh, shut up," Ritsu hissed. "I'm so embarrassed I could die right now!"

"Sorry." They were outside now, and slowed their pace to a brisk walk as they headed to the car. Takano reached out and ruffled Ritsu's hair. "But it sure was thrilling, wasn't it?"

"...Yeah." Ritsu finally admitted. They got in the car, and pulled out of the parking lot. Takano drove down the road only a couple blocks, then pulled into the small convenience store that had been there since their school days. "What are you doing?" Ritsu asked.

"I didn't bring my cigarettes," Takano admitted. "And I really need one after that." He flashed a smile at Ritsu, who just rolled his eyes.

"I wish you'd just quit," he said, as they got out of the car.

"I'm going to," Takano assured him. "I've been smoking less and less. But I really still crave one after sex."

"Hush," Ritsu admonished him. They were entering the store. Ritsu thumbed through a magazine while Takano waited behind a woman to buy his cigarettes.

"Ricchan?" Ritsu's head snapped up, and every alarm bell went off in his head as he heard that familiar voice. "What are you doing here?"

"H-Hi! Mom..." Ritsu tried to look happy to see his mother, who was turning away from the counter holding a quart of milk she had just purchased.

"I didn't know you were coming to visit!" She hurried forward and embraced her only son.

"Crap, crap, crap," Ritsu said to himself. "How could I forget the school is less than a mile from my parents's house?" Aloud, he said, "Well, I wasn't... you see..."

At this point, Takano had finished his transaction and was walking up cautiously. Ritsu's mother turned towards him. "Who is this?" she asked.

"Well... ah, you see... this is my b-boss, Takano-san. He... he went to school here too, so we came for the 10 year reunion for his cl-class tonight."

"Oh, isn't that nice!" Mrs. Onodera said, smiling. Ritsu exhaled in relief. She didn't seem to notice anything was off. "Of course, you'll both come over for tea."

"No, Mom!" Ritsu cried out. "It's so late already. We need to get home."

Mrs. Onodera looked hurt. "I haven't seen you in person in almost three months, and you can't even come by for half an hour?"

"We really have to be at work early!" Ritsu insisted.

"I won't accept that," Mrs. Onodera said firmly. She grabbed Ritsu by the sleeve and led him out of the store and down the road. The Onodera house was only a short walk from the neighborhood store. Takano was following behind, unsure of what to do.

"Mom, really!"

"Hush, hush," Mrs. Onodera was chiding him. "Dad will be glad to see you too."

Ritsu groaned and gave in. "Okay, but just for thirty minutes!"

They had reached the house, where they entered and removed their shoes. Ritsu's dad came out from another room, carrying a newspaper. "Oh, Ritsu!" he exclaimed.

"Hi, Dad," Ritsu mumbled sheepishly.

"And who's this?" Mr. Onodera asked, curious, as he looked at the tall man in his doorway.

"It's Ricchan's boss," Mrs. Onodera explained. "They've come over for tea."

"How lovely!" Mr. Onodera said. Soon, they were all seated around the low table, sipping green tea.

"So, Takano-san," Mrs. Onodera began in a playful voice. "I have a bone to pick with you."

"Eh?!" Ritsu cried out.

"You've been keeping my little Ricchan so busy that he never has time to come home!" she admonished him. "What's up with that?"

Takano smiled pleasantly, turning on the charm. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Onodera. But he's the best editor I have right now. The magazine wouldn't run without him. Please, accept my apologies." He bowed deeply.

"Oh!" Ritsu's mother was clearly appeased. "Well, don't work him too hard. I'm glad to know that he's succeeding, though. It's not like he ever shares anything with us!" she complained.

"Mom..." Ritsu sighed.

"It's true!" Mrs. Onodera insisted. "I call but you hardly ever pick up. How can I not be worried?"

"I'm doing the best I can right now," Ritsu mumbled, sounding miserable.

"And you've been ignoring An-chan, too," Mrs. Onodera complained. "Really, it's no way to treat your future wife!"

Ritsu's teacup hit the saucer with a cacophonous clatter. "Mom!"

"I mean it! You are lucky to be engaged to such a sweet, understanding girl!"

"Mom..." Ritsu rubbed his face in agony. "How many times do we have to go through this? This whole... engagement thing is something you guys dreamed up. An-chan and I are not getting married."

"Not anytime soon, perhaps," Mrs. Onodera admitted. "But eventually, you'll want to settle down. And who better to settle down with than a wonderful girl like her?"

"It's not going to happen." Ritsu's hands were clenched in his lap, and he was looking straight down.

"And why not? Can you tell me that you've met someone more compatible with you?"

"Yes, I have!" Ritsu shouted out, startling everyone with his volume. He got control of himself, and lowered his voice. "Yes, I have met someone," he said, very quietly.

"Eh? What's that? Who?!" his mother demanded.

"Well, you see... I can't really..." Ritsu fumbled for words, his hands opening and closing. In frustration, he looked desperately to Takano. Takano locked eyes with him, and then dipped his head imperceptibly. He reached out and took Ritsu's hand, holding it gently.

There was absolute silence around the table for a full minute. Finally, Mrs. Onodera spoke. "What are you saying, Ritsu?" she asked in a shaking voice.

"I love him." Ritsu's head was bowed so low, that his eyes could not be seen under his hair. Tears dripped down and struck the table.

"You... what?" Mr. Onodera spoke now, in complete awe.

"I love him," Ritsu repeated, his voice more sure now. He lifted his head, showing his red rimmed, but resolute eyes.

"No... this can't be..." Mrs. Onodera clasped her hands and began to cry. "Not my only son!"

"I'm sorry, Mom, but it's true," Ritsu said bitterly. Oh, how he wished he could just disappear! He didn't want this to be happening! Not like this! Not now!

Mrs. Onodera wiped her tears. "I mean, I know that you had some... confusion when you were younger."

Ritsu looked up sharply. "Eh? What are you talking about?"

Mrs. Onodera folded her arms across her chest. "Well, you wouldn't tell us a thing about why you were so upset before you went to England. So I snooped in your room and found your diary."

Ritsu's face went totally red. "You read my diary?!"

"Well, what choice did I have? I wanted to know what was wrong with my baby boy. But I was simply horrified about what I found in there. Pages and pages about some older boy. How you were in love with him, how you watched him every day. And then to make matters worse, at the end of the diary it appeared that you had actually started... er... experimenting with this 'Saga-senpai.' But I assumed that you had realized it wasn't something you really wanted to do, and that's why you were so upset when you went to England. I never would have thought you'd go on to make this kind of life choice. But you know, just because you had a silly crush on a boy in high school doesn't make you gay. Lots of people have confusion like that. You don't have to let it ruin your life."

"It's not like that at all!" Ritsu broke in, a pained expression on his face. "It wasn't just a silly crush, or an experimentation. I really loved Saga-senpai with all my heart! And I... still love him."

"Oh? Well, how does your new boyfriend feel about that? That you still love your high school crush?" Mrs. Onodera seemed defiant now.

Ritsu pressed his fingers into his forehead and gave a dry laugh. "Oh, he knows."

"It's me." Takano spoke for the first time in a while, surprising everyone. His voice was clear, and unashamed. "My name was Saga in high school."

Mrs. Onodera's eyes went wide. "How... how dare you..." she finally said in a low voice. "How dare you corrupt my only son."

"_I_ went after _him_!" Ritsu insisted, throwing up his hands. "If you read my diary at all, you'd realize that!"

"It doesn't matter. He was older, he should have put a stop to it," Mrs. Onodera insisted. "The fact remains that he took advantage of a younger boy."

"Took advantage?" Ritsu cried out.

Takano interrupted in a calm voice. "What happened in the past is in the past. What matters now is that we are two grown, consenting adults, and that we are in love." He took hold of Ritsu's hand again. "I love Ritsu, and I promise that I will take care of him for the rest of his life."

There was silence for a while, then Mr. Onodera spoke. His voice was cold and precise. "I do not accept this," he said. Ritsu hung his head and gave a ragged sigh. "If you two think that you are going to inherit my company with your immoral love, you are dead wrong."

"I've never expected that," Ritsu snapped. "You two were the ones pushing the whole idea of inheriting the company. That's part of the reason that I went out on my own to make my own way." He stood up suddenly, pulling Takano to standing as well. "Come on, Masamune," he said in the strongest voice he could muster. "We're going. I won't sit here and have our love be called 'immoral.'"

Takano lowered his head in assent. They walked out of the house hand in hand, without looking back.

Once they were in Takano's car, Ritsu collapsed completely. He began crying hard, his face in his hands. Takano reached over the space between their seats and embraced him tightly. "Ritsu, I love you."

"How could they be like that?" Ritsu sobbed.

"I don't know. But they'll come around one day."

"What if they don't?"

Takano pulled back slightly, taking Ritsu's face in his hands and looking deep into his eyes. "Then I will be your family."

Ritsu shuddered, and their lips met. "I love you," he murmured against Takano's mouth. Tears spilled from his eyes.

"I love you too," Takano said, then he kissed Ritsu's forehead. "It's going to be all right," he reassured Ritsu. "I promise you."

Ritsu looked up at Takano with grateful, tear-filled eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning at work, Ritsu stared at his computer screen bleakly. During the drive home, Ritsu had cried on and off the whole way. That night in bed Takano held him so gently and whispered to him so sweetly until he could quiet his worried mind enough to fall asleep. Ritsu was in shock over what happened with his parents, but he was trying to pull it together enough to carry on.

Takano passed by his desk, pausing for just a second to set down Ritsu's favorite drink, and then he ruffled Ritsu's hair and kept moving. Ritsu looked down at his hands and tried to keep from tearing up.

"Hey, Ricchan." Kisa's voice was very quiet and concerned. "I'm really worried about you," he said.

"I'm fine," Ritsu bluffed. He sat up straighter and tried to start typing.

"No, you're not. You're not yourself at all today. Did something happen with Takano-san? Please don't tell me you guys broke up."

"What?" Ritsu pushed his bangs out of his eyes. "Of course we didn't break up."

"But you're sitting here looking so depressed, and he keeps looking at you from his desk like he wants to run over and hug you. And you two aren't doing your usual banter back and forth that entertains me so much. Something's definitely wrong." He reached out and put a hand on Ritsu's shoulder. "You can tell me."

Ritsu let out a long exhale. "Kisa, what was it like for you... when you came out to your parents?"

Kisa looked totally surprised. "I don't know. I never did."

Ritsu just stared at him. "You're 30 years old, already, right?"

"Yeah."

"And your parents don't know you're gay?"

"Yeah, they know I'm gay."

"But you just said you never came out to them."

Kisa cocked his head to one side. "I didn't have to. They could tell. From the time I was pretty little, I was already declaring my preference for boys. It just wasn't a secret. They're as okay with it as they can be, I guess, just because they know that's just the way it is with me." He looked up at Ritsu. "Wait, Ritsu, are you saying you came out to your parents?" Ritsu nodded miserably. "Yikes. It went pretty badly, huh?"

"Yep. Pretty badly is an understatement," Ritsu said, trying not to cry again. "They don't accept it at all."

"Well, maybe if you give them some time to think about it, and later if they meet Takano-san... he's so charming when he wants to be..."

Ritsu was shaking his head. "Even that didn't help. Takano-san was there. They were disgusted by us." Tears started to creep out of his eyes. "This just is not fair," he whispered, his lips trembling. "It's taken us so long to finally be together after so many years alone and unhappy, and now this."

"Poor Ricchan," Kisa cooed sympathetically. "I'm so sorry." He brightened up. "Wanna go out drinking with me tonight? It'll cheer you up."

"Thanks, but I think I'd rather just stay at home." Ritsu smiled gratefully.

"Come on. I think you really need a boys' night out. We can talk and drink and cut loose, and you can bitch all you want. Okay?"

"I don't know..." Ritsu hesitated.

"If you stay in and mope, you'll just keep feeling worse. It's decided. We'll all go out drinking tonight." Kisa nodded firmly and then began texting his boyfriend to let him know the plans.

Ritsu managed to get all his work done that day, with much assistance from Kisa and Takano. He was grateful that there were people looking out for him. As soon as work was finished, he told Takano of his plans. "I promise I won't stay out too late. Kisa says I need this right now."

"I'm coming with you," Takano insisted.

"Really? I didn't think you'd want to do something like that."

"I don't care what it is, as long as it's with you," Takano told him. "So where are we headed?"

Ritsu shrugged. "I'm not familiar with the place. As you know, I've never been much of a drinker." He laughed. "I can count on one hand the number of times I've been to an actual bar. But it's someplace Kisa goes to."

"Oh lord," Takano groaned. "Someplace Kisa goes to? I can only imagine."

"Eh? What do you mean?"

Takano shook his head. "Kisa's been working for me for a year. And in that year, there's been at least a dozen times that he's gotten a stalker. And not the cute kind of stalker like you were. No, apparently these were guys he had one night stands with and then abandoned, and they'd find out where he worked and try to contact him. It's extremely aggravating, as a boss." He thought for a minute. "Though, it hasn't been happening lately."

"Yeah, that's because he's settled down with one guy," Ritsu pointed out. "So probably it's not going to be one of those places that he went to for meeting guys. Hopefully...?"

Kisa walked up then. "Alright, ready, Ricchan?" He looked excited.

"Oi. Kisa. What kind of place are we going to?" Takano asked warily.

Kisa looked up at Takano and blanched. "What do you mean, 'we'?" He turned to Ritsu impetuously. "Riiiichan! How are we supposed to have a wild and crazy boys' night out and let out steam with the BOSS there?"

Ritsu spread his hands out apologetically. "Sorry, Kisa, but I want him to go with us."

"Argh. Fine. This is not going to be as fun," he grumbled to himself. Louder, to Takano, he said, "We're not going anywhere sleazy. It's just a nice little place around the corner from here."

"Good." They all boarded the elevator together. "I was worried you were taking us to one of your glory holes."

"Gl-glory holes?" Kisa sputtered. "What makes you think I do that kind of thing?!"

Takano just shook his head wearily. "Kisa."

"I mean it! What kind of man do you think I am?"

Takano crossed his arms. "Well, that brown haired guy with the ugly green jacket who came up here and shouted at you in front of everyone last September had some choice words about your character. Something like..."

Kisa hung his head. "No, please don't. But I swear, that life is behind me now! And, and, all the places I went to for that... I picked places as far away from work as I could. Okay?!"

"Okay, fine." They were all walking out of the building now.

"So we get to meet your boyfriend!" Ritsu said brightly, trying to change the subject. "What's he like? You never really talk about him."

"Oh." Kisa blushed, and looked away as they walked. "Well, he's extremely beautiful. And very nice. He works at Marimo Books. He's in charge of the girls' manga section. He really sells a lot of our stuff. Oh, and he's an art student. He does oil paintings."

"An art student? How old is he?" Ritsu asked.

"Tw-twenty one..." Kisa said reluctantly.

"You're dating a guy almost ten years younger?" Ritsu exclaimed.

"Shh!" Kisa admonished him. "Yeah, so?" He began huffing and puffing as he stomped along. "Yeah, I know he's young! And beautiful! And he was straight before he met me. He's way too good for me! I don't have any idea why he wants a shrimpy old homo like me! But he does! And no matter what I do, he won't go away! So there you have it!"

"Wow, what a love story," Takano deadpanned.

Kisa just growled in annoyance. "We're not going to have any fun tonight with this guy along," he whined to himself.

"Is this the place?" Ritsu asked. He pointed at the next building, which appeared to be a bar by the beer signs in the window.

"Yeah." Kisa calmed down a little bit. Takano approached first, opening the door for both of them, and they went in.

"Kiiiisa-san!" a lovely male voice called out melodiously. Kisa immediately cringed and got even shorter as he slumped down. "Kisa-san, over here!" Sure enough, the beautiful Yukina was waving from a table in the corner.

"Oh God, there he is," Kisa muttered.

"Are you sure you're happy about this guy?" Ritsu whispered as they walked over.

"Yeah, ridiculously happy. I've just never dealt with someone like him before. It's overwhelming." The three editors slid into the booth, with Kisa next to Yukina and Ritsu and Takano sitting across from them. "Hey," Kisa muttered.

"Kisa-san, I'm so glad to see you! I've missed you so much!"

"Quiet. We saw each other this morning."

"I know, but I thought about you all day!" He began to fuss over Kisa, smoothing out some stray hairs on his head and turning his collar the right way.

"Would you cut that out!" Kisa snapped, then immediately softened. "Er, I mean... thank you. I m-m-missed you too," he said in a barely audible voice. He looked up and realized that introductions needed to be made. "This is Yukina, my... b-b-boy... boyfriend. Yukina, these are two of my coworkers, Ritsu and Takano-san. Takano-san is my boss, and the two of them are going out."

"You've probably heard all about us," Ritsu said as he reached across the table to shake hands.

"Er, no, not really," Yukina admitted.

"Eh?" Ritsu was surprised. "I figured Kisa would be telling you all the stories that happen at work. He loves to gossip in the office."

"Oh, he really doesn't talk much when we're together," Yukina laughed.

"That's because my mouth is usually full," Kisa mumbled. He realized he had said it aloud, and snapped his head up. "With cooking! With food! Yukina's such a good cook! I can't stop eating him! No! Not HIM! I can't stop eating his _food_!" He clapped a hand to his face. "Gah..."

Yukina just laughed some more. "Oh, you're too cute, Kisa-san. I love you so much!"

"You idiot," Kisa hissed. "Don't just s-say things like that!"

"Oops, sorry." Yukina picked up the menu. "I'm totally starving. How about you guys?"

The waiter approached then, and several appetizers were ordered for the table as well as drinks. Kisa coaxed everyone into having margaritas. "That's the official drink of boys' night out," he said in a sagely voice.

"Oh, I see," Takano said. The waiter brought four frosty lime-garnished glasses, and all four guys took a sip.

Kisa gave a happy sigh as the first wave of alcohol hit his bloodstream. "Nothing like kicking back," he said happily. "Now, let's talk. Ritsu, tell me all about how you and Takano-san met!" He clasped his hands and leaned in excitedly.

"Er, well... it's a long story."

Kisa spread out his hands. "We've got time. I've been dying to hear the details so I can understand this whole thing better. So go on."

Ritsu glanced at Takano, who shrugged as if to say he didn't mind. So Ritsu dipped his head and began. "Well, when I was in the seventh grade..."

"Seventh grade! How long ago was that?" Kisa asked.

"Thirteen years ago," Ritsu said. "I couldn't reach a book on the top shelf in the library. Suddenly, this other hand appeared above mine, and pulled it down for me. I looked over gratefully, and when I did, my heart about stopped." He blushed at the memory. "I know they say love at first sight's not a real thing, but there's no other way to explain what I felt. When I saw that face; that was it, I was done." Takano reached over and squeezed his knee affectionately, and Ritsu smiled bashfully. "Well, he didn't even say anything to me. He just walked away. So... I followed him."

"Stealthy like," Takano filled in helpfully.

"Yeah. You could say I kind of acted like a stalker." Ritsu laughed. "I watched him return some books, and I hurried over to look at the check out card to find out his name. Masamune Saga. I didn't really know what to do with that information. It wasn't like I could walk up and introduce myself, so I checked out that book. I figured maybe by reading it, I could find out a little bit about what he liked."

"What was the book about?" Kisa asked. He was leaning his head on his hand, sipping his margarita through the straw and listening dreamily.

"It was a mystery set on a pirate ship," Ritsu replied. "So I thought, okay, maybe he likes mysteries. Or pirates. I wasn't sure which. So I did what any rational person would do, and I stalked him the next day too. He returned another book, so I checked that one out too."

"Was it another pirate mystery?" Kisa wondered.

"No, it was a fantasy story about a civilization of rabbits. So I was pretty confused at that point. I had no choice but to keep checking out more of his returned books. Oh, and of course to watch him through the cracks in the bookshelves."

"Did you notice him watching you, Takano-san?" Yukina was the one asking a question now.

"Yeah."

"You did?!" Ritsu hadn't realized Takano had seen him that early on.

"Oh, I noticed him the first day. I didn't know what his deal was. It kind of annoyed me at first. But then it was reassuring in a weird way. No matter what else was going on in my world, I knew that there was going to be a wide eyed little underclassman hiding behind the shelves, peeking at me."

"Gosh, I didn't think you noticed me while we were in middle school," Ritsu said. He seemed embarrassed. Takano ruffled his hair, and he continued. "Well, I followed him all year. And then when we came back from spring break... he was gone."

"Oh no!" Kisa exclaimed.

"Well, that was to be expected," Ritsu admitted. "He had been a ninth grader, so he had moved on to tenth grade, and entered high school. So I didn't actually see him for two years. But I kept checking out his same books over again." He hung his head a little. "I actually went through all the books in the whole library and read the checkout cards looking for his name. I found a lot of other ones he had read that way."

"Boy, was it agony picking a high school," Ritsu said. "I wasn't sure which one he had gone to. I just picked the closest one to our middle school out of desperation. And lo and behold, on the first day of tenth grade - there he was! A different school uniform, and he was taller, but there he was! Slumped in a chair reading a book! I thought I was going to explode of happiness right on the spot." Ritsu's eyes were bright as he remembered.

Takano smiled to himself at how giddy Ritsu was getting just from the recollection. It made him want to snatch the man up and take him home right that instant.

Ritsu took a long drink of margarita, and then continued. "So I just slipped right into the same pattern of following him around and reading his books. And then one day, about a month into the school year, I watched him pull a book out, look through it, and then put it back on the shelf. He then walked away. So I went over and stared up at it. I remember looking at the spine. 'The Unusual Patterns of Moths,' it was called. I couldn't decide whether or not to pull it down. So when finally I reached up for it, I didn't even realize he was standing next to me, reaching up for it too. He had come back for it. Our hands touched..." Ritsu paused to take a sip.

"And? And?" Kisa demanded. He had already drained his drink and ordered another one.

"And I was in total and complete shock when I looked over and saw him. He was just looking at me with this bored expression. I had dreamed and fantasized about what clever thing I'd say one day when we finally met. Something encompassing everything I'd learned from all the books I'd read. Something perfect that would grab his attention and make him interested in me too."

"So what did you say?" Kisa pounded his fists on the table in excitement.

Ritsu blushed, and laughed. He glanced at Takano, who smiled. "I just blurted out, 'Senpai! I love you!' like a huge fucking idiot."

Kisa and Yukina's eyes went wide. "Whoa..." Kisa breathed. "That was pretty damn stupid."

"I know," Ritsu said, sounding aggravated with himself. "So then, there I was. About to melt in a puddle and die of embarrassment. But... he reached out, ruffled my hair and said, 'You want to go out with me?' I started spluttering something, and he just continued, 'I don't mind. I'll go out with you.'"

"Kyaaa!" Kisa cried. "How romantic! So what went wrong?"

"Eh?" Ritsu was drawn out of his happy remembrance.

"I said what went wrong? You told me you lost touch for ten years. Somebody moved away? Or was it when he went off to college? Why didn't you keep in touch?"

"Well... that was..." Ritsu seemed extremely embarrassed. "There was a misunderstanding."

"A foolish mistake on my part," Takano said.

"No," Ritsu countered. "It was my fault." He sighed heavily. "I asked him if he loved me one day. He just snorted. So I... I kicked him in the head and ran away. I didn't go back to school for three days. My parents had been wanting to send me for study abroad, but I had resisted it, of course, because I wanted to be around Senpai. But I was so angry and hurt because I thought he had just been playing with me, so I told them I wanted to go right away. And..." He hung his head. "That was the end of that."

Takano spoke up. "I snorted because I couldn't believe he was asking me that. Of course I loved him. But he didn't give me a chance to explain." He clenched his fists under the table. "How I've regretted that day."

"But what matters now is that you're together!" Yukina exclaimed. He clasped his hands and smiled dreamily. "God, it's like something out of shoujo manga! I love it!" He turned to Kisa. "Kisa-san! Our love story is similar! You watched me through the bookshelves, too!"

"Yeah, but the similarities end there," Kisa mumbled. "N-Not that what we have isn't wonderful." He drank about half his margarita and then looked across at Ritsu. "So, do your parents understand all that, and they still don't approve?"

"Well, sort of," Ritsu said. "My mom says she read my diary, so... ugh." He held his head as he remembered some of the explicit things he had admitted in there. Like about how he would masturbate and think of Senpai. He picked up his drink and took a long draught of it to kill the thought. "At any rate, they essentially disowned me last night." He hung his head and looked gloomy.

Takano patted his shoulder comfortingly. "Now, we don't know that. It might just take them a little time to get used to the idea."

"I don't know," Ritsu mumbled. "They are so damn conservative."

"It'll be fine, Ricchan!" Kisa assured him brightly. "One day, they'll be just like my parents." He rolled his eyes. "You don't know how delighted they were to find out I was dating someone steadily." He laughed nervously, his hand on the back of his head and his eyes shut tight. "I haven't exactly had the best habits for the last ten years." He thought of something, and reached out across the table to grasp Ritsu's hands. "Ricchan! I just came up with the most fabulous idea! Tell your parents you've been slutting it up with a different guy every night! Real sleazebags, too! And then when they're fuming, you go, 'Nope, really I'm just with this one person and who's really wonderful and has a good job.' And they'll be so relieved, they won't even care that it's a guy!"

Ritsu had to laugh. "As great of an idea as that is, Kisa, I think I'll pass." The waiter approached, and everyone ordered another round.

"Aw, I thought it would really work," Kisa pouted. He leaned back against the booth in defeat. "Hey... look over there!" he suddenly exclaimed. "Isn't that the Wild Bear?"

Everyone turned to look, and sure enough, there was Yokozawa, also known as the Wild Bear of Marukawa for his angry looking appearance. He was with a very attractive wavy haired man, and they were being escorted to a nearby table.

"Mr. Bear! Mr. Bear!" Kisa cried. He was already getting pretty drunk. He waved happily. "You're smiling today!"

"Shush!" Ritsu reached out and snatched Kisa by the wrist.

"Ow, Ricchan! Don't grab me like that!" Kisa pulled his arm free and continued waving.

Yokozawa's attention was drawn, and when he saw his friend and ex-lover Takano there, he approached the table with an annoyed expression on his face. "Masamune. What's going on?" He looked curiously at the ensemble of men.

"Just having a guys' night out," Takano explained.

"Huh."

"What about you?" Takano motioned towards the man Yokozawa had come with, who was waiting for him at their table.

"Nothing really." Yokozawa seemed unusually flustered all of the sudden.

"On a date?" Kisa asked in a cheeky tone of voice.

"Wh-what?! Of course I'm..." Yokozawa's face got red.

"How's my cat doing?" Takano asked.

Yokozawa seemed grateful for the change in topic. "He's great. Just as sweet as ever."

"Still over feeding him?"

"Hey! I don't over feed him! I measure it out very..."

"Takafumi..." The man Yokozawa had come with was calling from their table. Yokozawa looked back, and when he saw Kirishima beckoning to him, he reddened up once more and began to stammer.

"I r-really need to get back... have a good night, everyone," he mumbled, and then retreated.

Ritsu had stayed quiet during the interim. Though Yokozawa had finally stopped treating him like a rival and being hostile towards him, he still tried to keep a low profile around the man. He sighed in relief once Yokozawa was gone. "Every time I see him, I think of him getting..." he mumbled, and then clapped his hands over his eyes.

Takano punched him gently in the shoulder. "How many times have I told you not to imagine that?" he admonished Ritsu.

Kisa and Yukina exchanged a look. Kisa then looked at Ritsu, his eyebrows going up and down. "Hmmmm..."

"I hate when you start going 'hmmmm'..." Ritsu complained. "So stop it."

"What can't you stop imagining?" Kisa asked, sounding very interested indeed.

"Nothing! Just drop it!" Ritsu stood up suddenly. "I have to pee. Ex-excuse me."

Kisa jumped up too. "Oh, I'll go with you!"

"No! What are we, girls?" Ritsu swatted Kisa away when he tried to link arms with him. "Leave me alone!" They had reached the bathroom door. "No! Don't come in with me!"

"But Ricchan..." Kisa whined. "I really have to pee too. I've had three margaritas but didn't take a break because I didn't want to miss any of your story!" He squeezed his legs together and wiggled impatiently like a little boy.

"Geez..." Ritsu sighed. He pushed the door open and they both went in, lining up next to each other at the urinal.

"So, what's the deal with Yokozawa-san?" Kisa demanded as soon as they were both going.

"Nothing!"

"Why does he have Takano-san's cat?"

"Er, well, they were friends in college and I guess it took more of a liking to Yokozawa. He's apparently some kind of cat whisperer. That's all."

"There's something you aren't telling me." Ritsu had finished up and turned away to the sink. "What, did you guys have some failed threesome or something?"

"The hell?!" Ritsu screeched. "No! Definitely not that!"

"That must be what it is! You're getting so worked up!"

"No! All it was is that they slept together in college. I swear I was NOT there! But every time I see Yokozawa, I can't help but imagine what he looks like getting fucked. How can a scary guy like that even have an O face?"

Kisa washed off his hands and smiled triumphantly. "Ha ha, I didn't really think you guys had had a threesome. But I figured if I suggested that, you'd tell me the real thing."

Ritsu glared at him. "You're a sneaky little bastard."

"Yep, and it's working out fantastically for me. So, wow. Yokozawa-san and Takano-san. I can't really imagine that. No, wait. I can. Ew. DO NOT WANT!" He clapped his hands over his face.

Ritsu laughed. "That's what your sneakiness gets you. Now you're cursed with the image too."

"Ugh." They reentered the dining room and headed for their table. As Kisa slid into the booth, he glanced over at the nearby table Yokozawa was at, and then blanched. Ritsu smiled smugly and picked up his drink.

The four men continued to talk amiably for another hour or so, and then everyone decided it was getting late. On the train, Ritsu fell asleep against Takano's shoulder. Takano smiled and turned his head, watching Ritsu sleep.

He nudged him gently awake at their stop, and helped the sleepy man to his feet. Ritsu yawned and shuffled out of the train, then walked hand in hand with Takano up the road to their apartment complex.

Once they were inside Takano's apartment, Ritsu took a quick shower before brushing his teeth and putting on his pajamas. He had moved some of his things over to Takano's place, since he slept there more than he did at his own place.

Ritsu sat on the edge of the bed, his expression faraway, like he was deep in thought. Takano came over and sat down next to him. "What's wrong, Ritsu?"

Ritsu shook his head slightly. "Oh, I just can't stop thinking about my parents. You know, I've never doubted before that they would love me no matter what. But now I do. And that's incredibly scary." He gave a ragged sigh.

"Ritsu. Your parents still love you. They're just mad right now, because they had certain expectations for how your life was going to go, and it's not going to go that way. Eventually, they'll come to terms with it."

"Maybe I'm a bad son," Ritsu mumbled. "Maybe I'm selfish for not just doing what they want."

"Ritsu, that's absolutely ridiculous to say. They don't really want you to live a life you're not happy with. They may think that they do, but when they realize that their plan for you would never have worked, they'll let go of that idea."

"I don't know." Ritsu gave another weary sigh and slipped his body under the sheets. Takano laid down next to him and wrapped his arms tightly around him.

"Turn around and look at me," Takano implored him, and Ritsu slowly rotated in his arms to face him. Takano gazed deeply into Ritsu's eyes, and stroked the side of his face with a gentle hand. "Ritsu, you are more precious to me than anything in the world." Ritsu shuddered, and tears came to his eyes. "No matter what happens with anything else in the world, I'll always be here for you. I never gave up on the idea of being with you again, and I never will." He pressed a kiss to Ritsu's forehead.

Ritsu wrapped his arms around Takano's waist and squeezed tightly. Then he tilted his head up so their lips could meet. After some leisurely kissing, Takano gave a little chuckle. "What's that poking me in the stomach?"

Color came to Ritsu's face. "Um..."

"I figured you wouldn't be in the mood for anything."

"But after you say that kind of stuff to me... how can I not get in the mood?" Ritsu whispered softly.

"Oh, Ritsu," Takano murmured, and then he pushed Ritsu on his back. Light, fluttering kisses were placed along Ritsu's throat and collarbones. Ritsu moaned and trembled as Takano kissed his chest through his pajama top. His nipples were hard, tenting up the soft flannel, and Takano paid special attention to those, even biting them gently through the fabric.

"Oh..." Ritsu breathed out. Takano's hands were working slowly at the buttons on his top, making Ritsu squirm in anticipation. He let out a little squeal as Takano brushed a knuckle against his erection while opening the last button. Takano just smiled, and parted the shirt to the sides. He lowered his head down and kissed Ritsu's bare chest. His mouth came to one nipple and suckled it gently, making it harden even further. Then he trailed kisses over to the other one and rolled his tongue around it.

Then he kissed a path down Ritsu's stomach, and hooked his fingers underneath the waistband of his pajama pants. He carefully pulled them down, exposing Ritsu's fully rigid member. He took it in hand and then pressed a loving kiss to the head before taking it inside his mouth. Ritsu groaned in desire, rolling his head back and closing his eyes.

Takano slid his mouth completely down to the base, taking it all inside, then he pulled back until just the head was in his mouth, and sucked it steadily. Then he brought his mouth off and lashed his tongue at the very tip. He repeated this pattern several times, and then began steadily moving his mouth up and down the upper half.

Ritsu trembled and clutched a handful of sheets in one hand, while the other hand sifted through Takano's silky hair. "I'm close..." Ritsu managed to pant out. "Mmmm..." He pressed his lips together and bucked his hips in time with Takano's movements.

To his surprise, Takano suddenly released his erection from his mouth and took over stroking it with his hand. He wondered why until he felt Takano's strong hand on the underside of his thigh, pushing it up and back. "Aaaah!" Ritsu screamed when he felt Takano's tongue teasing his entrance. His head lifted off the pillow and then fell back again as every muscle in his body contracted and released. He wailed in pleasure again and again as he climaxed powerfully.

Takano slowed his stroking as the last drops came out, then he brought his mouth to Ritsu's stomach and lapped up the creamy fluid there. Ritsu watched him in erotic amazement. Once his stomach was clean, Takano pulled up and retrieved the lube from the side table. He stripped his shirt off and eased his pants down on his hips, exposing his very ready cock. He slicked himself down, and then lowered his hips between Ritsu's spread legs and easily penetrated his relaxed body. Ritsu cried out and wrapped his arms around Takano's back, burying his face in the crook of his neck and shoulder.

Takano thrust into him, groaning in desire. "Ohhh... Ritsu... you feel so perfect." He plunged in very deep and then stayed there, pulsing his hips. Ritsu squirmed underneath him - the pressure and friction of Takano's stomach on his manhood was stimulating it into hardness once again. "Oh God, Ritsu!" Takano moaned.

He gave a few rapidfire thrusts and then stilled himself cautiously. "Shit... before I lose it... can you come again?" he panted out.

Ritsu wiggled desperately against him. "I'm... almost..." was all he was able to say. Takano resumed pounding into him, and then they cried out in unison as they came.

They stayed together for a few moments, exchanging light kisses. "I love you," Ritsu breathed.

"I love you, too," Takano whispered back. "So, so much."


	8. Chapter 8

A soft beeping came from Takano's alarm clock, and he turned to the side and shut it off. He rolled back to face Ritsu in the bed. Ritsu was still sleeping, a light smile playing on his lips. Takano watched him sleep, that familiar ache rising up in his chest. He had never believed that he could love anyone, but once he had fallen in love with Ritsu ten years ago, he had fallen completely. His entire body, mind, and soul belonged to this beautiful, insecure creature.

Takano's parents had never been the type to show affection. They were completely self-absorbed people, and so Takano had just grown up feeling that he didn't need anyone to care about him, and he certainly didn't want to care about anyone else.

When Ritsu had stumbled into his life, brimming over with love and admiration for him, Takano's initial reaction was to be disgusted. Honestly, when he had said he'd go out with the younger boy, it was because he wanted to crush his illusions. Ritsu was so happy and innocent, and it made Takano want to break his spirit and leave him feeling as empty as he himself felt.

But slowly, that changed. Ritsu's love for Takano was completely selfless, honest, and real. He wanted nothing more than to make his Senpai happy in any way that he could. Takano could feel something changing inside of himself, and at first it disturbed him. He lashed out at Ritsu, trying to drive him away. But the pure-hearted boy refused to be deterred, and kept coming back for more of whatever his Senpai would give him. Takano felt like little cracks were opening up in his hardened heart, and then were being filled by the warmth that was Ritsu's honest, pure love.

Eventually, he fell madly in love with Ritsu. It felt so wonderful to finally love someone and be loved in return. The month that he spent with Ritsu was the happiest he had in his life up to that point.

But then it all fell apart. A foolish misunderstanding, and all was lost. Takano had come to depend on Ritsu's love, and when it was suddenly gone, it shattered him completely. He had tried desperately to forget him. He had thrown himself into one sexual encounter after another, trying to find someone who made him feel even a fraction of what Ritsu did.

However, it never happened. Takano resigned himself to the fact that he would never love or be loved like that again. He tried to take solace in the idea that at least he had been able to enjoy that one beautiful month with Ritsu.

And then of course, he found him again. He had been elated, then completely destroyed to find that Ritsu had either forgotten him or wanted to act like nothing had ever happened. But he had never given up. He knew that if fate was kind enough to reunite them, it would be kind enough to make them fall back in love.

Takano reached out and stroked Ritsu's hair lovingly. _How lucky I am_, he thought. _I'll never let him go again._

Some time later, Ritsu yawned and rolled over in the bed. By the scents coming from the kitchen, Takano was already up and cooking."I'm getting spoiled," Ritsu murmured to himself. "He wakes me up every morning with breakfast."

Ritsu got out of bed and padded over to the closet, where he sifted through his unofficial side of the closet. Every time he spent the night, which admittedly had been every night, the clothes he had worn that day ended up in a pile on the floor with Takano's clothes. Takano would later wash them and hang them up, and thus Ritsu had a selection of clothes to pick from. "He's spoiling me there too," Ritsu said. "When's the last time I washed my own laundry?" He laughed a little and continued to look through the clothes.

But Ritsu was looking for a particular outfit, and it wasn't there. He popped his head into the kitchen. "Hey, I'm just going to slip over to my place. I wanted to wear my blue sweater today." He laughed and smiled. "I'm going to be daring and risk going out into the hallway in my pajamas today! What will the neighbors think?"

"Those crazy lovers are at it again," Takano chuckled as a suggestion. He was busily working over the stove.

"I don't know why I even bother having an apartment anymore," Ritsu laughed. "It's just gathering dust lately."

Takano slowly turned to him and looked him in the eyes. "Well, then why don't you get rid of it?"

"Eh?" Ritsu was surprised. "But..."

"When's the last time you slept in your own bed?"

"Over a month ago," Ritsu admitted. "But... that's a big step, isn't it? Moving in together?"

"Aren't we practically already living together now?" Takano pointed out.

"W-Well, yeah, but..." It was just that the whole concept of it was a stumbling block for Ritsu's brain. "Are you sure you want me around ALL the time? I mean, we work together, so if we live together too, you're never going to get a break from me. What if you need some alone time?"

"I've had ten years of alone time," Takano said quietly. "I don't want any more."

Ritsu hesitated for a moment, and then stepped forward and pressed his face into Takano's back, wrapping his arms around his waist. Takano closed his eyes and sighed happily.

As they rode the train to work together, Takano pulled at his chin thoughtfully. "Your birthday is next week," he said. "What are we going to do about that?"

Ritsu considered it. "Hmmm, I don't know," he said.

Takano smiled, reaching over to hold his hand. "Well, what did little Ritsu dream up for us to do on his birthday?"

Ritsu reddened up, looking down as he stammered. "W-well, I can't really remember..."

"Sure you can," Takano encouraged him.

"Well, what did you think about us doing back then?" Ritsu turned the question back around at him.

"Oh, no you don't," Takano chuckled. "I want to hear your idea first."

"Um... well... it's really dumb, but..." Ritsu hemmed and hawed. "I always hoped that we could go to Tokyo Disneyland together."

Takano gave a laughing exhale and slapped his knee. "I'll be damned."

Ritsu hastened to explain. "I know it's childish, but I just imagined us holding hands on the rides, and watching - "

"-the nighttime fireworks show together, and kissing during the big finale?" Takano finished for him. Ritsu nodded in wide eyed surprise. "Yep, that's what I planned for too. You know what?" He ruffled Ritsu's hair. "You are too damn cute."

"No, I'm not," Ritsu protested, looking down. "I'm silly."

"Well, if you're silly, then I'm silly too. I told you, I wanted the same thing. So let's see, your birthday falls on a Tuesday this year, so how about we go the Saturday after?"

"O-Okay." Ritsu could feel his face getting hot.

At work, Kisa was having a mini meltdown. There was going to be a special event at the bookstore to celebrate the release of the next volume of his author's manga, which was tied in to the upcoming cherry blossom season, and Kisa was stressed to the max. "Do you think we ordered enough copies?" he fretted, as he looked through sales projections.

"I'm sure it's enough," Ritsu assured him.

"But, oh no, maybe it's too many! If there are stacks and stacks left over, won't that look bad?" He pulled out his phone. "Maybe I should tell Yukina to hide some of the stacks and then only take them out if we're running low. But what if it gets crazy and he can't get them out in time?! Argh!"

"Kisa!" Takano shouted from his desk. "Take a chill pill! You're getting yourself all worked up over nothing!" He removed his glasses and rubbed his aching forehead. He had quite the headache after listening to Kisa whine and stress out all day.

"But this is a big deal and I want..."

"It's just a run of the mill promotion!" Takano chided him. "Save your stress for the big event next month for the anime debut!"

"Oh God, I'd forgotten about that!" Kisa groaned, holding his head.

"Jeez, why'd I have to mention that?" Takano hissed to himself.

"Kisa, it's going to be okay!" Ritsu assured him, taking his friend by the shoulders and shaking him gently. "We're all going to be there with you, and everything's going to go smoothly! I promise!"

"Okay, Ricchan, if you say so..." Kisa said, seeming to calm down a little.

Takano smiled from his desk. That was his Ritsu. Always looking out for everyone else.

When the editors arrived for the Cherry Blossom Event at Marimo Books, they were greeted by a very frantic employee. "It's a disaster!" she cried.

"Eh? What's wrong?" asked Ritsu.

"The guy that was supposed to play Yamamoto didn't show up!" the employee wailed. They had planned to have people dressed as the three main characters from the manga there to pose with fans. "What are we going to do? We have the two models dressed as the girl characters, but Yamamoto was the whole draw!" She pulled at her hair in agony.

Kisa started to get agitated as well, pulling at his own hair. "Gah! It's all ruined!"

Ritsu stepped forward. "Can't the booking agency send someone else?"

"We thought of that, but they said they don't have anyone that fits the part! He's gotta be middle height, very attractive, with light brown hair! And..." She trailed off from her tearful ramble as she saw Takano pointing at Ritsu.

"What?" Ritsu looked at Takano in surprise, then back at the employee. "I can't play the character! Let Kisa do it! He looks like he could be in high school!"

"No! He's too short for the costume and his hair is the wrong color!" the employee shouted. She was already pulling Ritsu by the wrist towards the back room. "All you have to do is wear this and pose for pictures... you don't even have to recite any lines!"

"But I don't want to!" Ritsu protests were ignored completely. So somehow, twenty minutes later, he found himself dressed in a school uniform and standing alongside two girls in female uniforms. "Oh God, someone just kill me now," he muttered to himself.

They walked out of the backroom to the cheers of the waiting customers. Ritsu smiled, embarrassed, and followed the cue of the girls by waving to them. He allowed himself to be ushered to a heavily decorated backdrop, where the pictures with fans would be taken.

Picture after picture was snapped as each customer posed with them. Ritsu felt tired, even though it had only been thirty minutes. He wondered if the other editors were able to handle crowd control without his help, so he scanned the crowd to see how it was going.

When he locked eyes with Takano, he was shocked.

For his lover was staring intensely at him, with the ravenous eyes of a starving animal. Ritsu forced himself to look away, then back again. Takano continued to watch him, obviously breathing heavily and lost in a trance. Ritsu looked down out of embarrassment. He saw the gold buttons on his uniform costume, and something clicked in his head. "I look like 'Little Ritsu' again," he thought to himself. "This is the only way he ever saw me dressed... well, besides completely undressed - " he blushed at that thought. "So his mind must be racing with memories of that time."

Ritsu feared slightly that Takano would rush forward and grab him up in front of everyone. He prayed that the event would soon be over.

Mercifully, it soon was. Ritsu thanked those around him, and stepped forward to rejoin his coworkers. He gasped as Takano grabbed him by the wrist and jerked him out of the crowd. Takano hustled him into the backroom and into the single room employee's bathroom.

"Ah..." Ritsu cried as Takano pressed him up again the bathroom door.

"I want you," Takano rasped in to his ear. "I need you," he begged desperately. He was pulling the buttons, getting Ritsu's shirt open. "God, look at you. For ten years I imagined you like this. This is the image that's been burnt into my brain as the epitome of ecstasy." Takano's mouth was kissing and licking passionately at Ritsu's neck as his fingers tweaked at his nipples.

"Ahhh... not here..." Ritsu moaned. He cried out when Takano shoved a hand down the front of his pants and began to stroke him.

"Here, you touch me too," Takano breathed in his ear. He took Ritsu's hand and guided it to the straining bulge in his pants.

Ritsu considered protesting more, but then gave into the heat of the moment and quickly unfastened Takano's pants. He pulled the man's cock through the gap in his boxers, and pumped at it. Their mouths clashed together, hot and passionate.

"Yes... oh, yes..." Takano groaned. "Feels so good..." Ritsu's fingers felt cool in contrast to his hot, needy flesh, and it gave him relief in more ways than one. He stroked harder at Ritsu, wanting to bring him pleasure.

Ritsu trembled, his knees threatening to give way. Takano held him up, pressing him into the door as they worked each other closer to completion. "Oh God..." Ritsu cried out. His hips jerked spasmodically. Takano grunted in satisfaction at the flush rising up Ritsu's chest and throat, and he pumped harder. "Masamune!" Ritsu moaned, and then he let out a series of high pitched cries as he released into Takano's tightly squeezing hand.

"Ritsu," Takano groaned, and he used his free hand to guide Ritsu's stroking hand a little more rapidly. "Oh, oh, oh! Ritsu!" His semen spurted up and out, filling the spaces between their fingers.

After a few moments where all they could do was pant and recover, they broke apart. Takano stumbled over to the sink and washed his dripping hands, then Ritsu did the same. Ritsu caught a glimpse of Takano watching him in the mirror, and he smiled bashfully. Takano stepped up behind him and hugged him around the neck. "That was really, really hot," he breathed, kissing Ritsu on the cheek.

"Yeah," Ritsu admitted. He jumped in surprise when suddenly there came a knocking on the door.

"Ricchan? Takano-san?" Kisa's voice could be heard. "Are you guys all done in there? They kind of want their uniform back, Ricchan."

Ritsu was blushing terribly as he came barreling out of the bathroom a few minutes later. He had changed back into the clothes he had worn there, which had been hanging up in the bathroom the whole time. Takano was right after him, smiling cheekily. "What? I had to help him with a stuck zipper," he explained breezily to the amused looking employees lined up outside.

"I could just die!" Ritsu hissed as he hurried out of the building. Takano stayed close on his heels. "Everybody heard us!"

"Relax," Takano reassured him. "They probably just walked up after it was over. The event was still winding down, after all."

"But still! What if somebody did hear us!" He turned around abruptly and slapped Takano on the arm. "You're terrible! I keep getting caught up in your pace and one of these days we're really going to get in trouble!"

"Ow," Takano rubbed his arm and looked hurt. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't control myself when I saw you in that uniform." He seemed genuinely contrite.

"It's okay," Ritsu mumbled, looking away. He hadn't meant to make Takano feel bad. "If it had been you standing there in a school uniform, I probably would have acted like a fool too."

Takano smiled slyly. "Would you have run up to me and declared your love in front of everyone?"

"M-Maybe." Ritsu blushed.

"I wonder..." Takano seemed lost in thought all of the sudden.

"You wonder what?" Ritsu asked. Takano couldn't possibly be doubting Ritsu's love, could he?

"I wonder where a couple of horny idiots could buy school uniforms so they could put them on for each other when they need a thrill."

Ritsu just rolled his eyes and continued walking back to the office. "You're too much," he muttered as they entered the building.

"I may be too much, but I'm just the right amount for Ritsu," Takano laughed. They held hands as the elevator doors closed.


	9. Chapter 9

"Uff." Ritsu hefted the last of the boxes into Takano's apartment. "I can't imagine that there are any two people on this earth that have more books than we do."

"We'll have to get more bookshelves," Takano commented. He looked around the room. "I think we could get a tall one and put it there, by the window."

It had only been a few days since they had officially decided to live together, but Ritsu had already moved everything over. Admittedly, it wasn't that hard, since he was right next door, and all he needed to move was his clothing and books. The furniture had been furnished.

The landlord had been surprisingly understanding. He had taken their situation as a consolidation out of necessity, "What with this economy, lots of people are having to room together," he had said, and hadn't charged Ritsu a lease breaking fee. After all, Ritsu would still be his tenant.

As for the rent, Ritsu had adamantly insisted on paying his half. But Takano had refused again and again. "Listen," he told Ritsu, "Did I or did I not promise your parents that I was going to take care of you for the rest of your life?"

"Y-yeah, but..." Ritsu had squirmed nervously in Takano's arms. "Still... I feel like a freeloader. Especially since you do all the housework, too."

"Ritsu." Takano pulled back to look him in the eyes. "There's not enough that I can ever do to repay you for teaching me how to love."

Ritsu's face turned bright red and his shoulders sagged. "How can you... how can you say those kinds of things and not die of embarrassment?" He pulled away and reached into one of the boxes. "Oh yeah, here's this." He handed Takano the polka dotted gift bag.

Takano chuckled and reached into it. "Never even used this stuff yet." He pulled out the lube and put it away in the drawer by the bed.

"Well, we never spent another night at my apartment," Ritsu pointed out. "Your bed is just a lot more comfortable than mine was."

"_Our_ bed," Takano corrected him. "Well, anyway, that was good timing." He picked up the old bottle of lube out of the drawer and tossed it into the trash. "We drained that one dry." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Ritsu rolled his eyes. "Gee, I wonder why. When someone wants it every night..."

"Yes, my little Ritsu has quite the sexual appetite," Takano teased him. He wrapped his arms around Ritsu and put his chin on the top of his head while Ritsu blustered and tried to push him off.

Later that night, Ritsu exited the bathroom, toweling off his head. He stopped in the doorway of the bedroom when he saw that Takano was lying on the opposite side of the bed as usual, reading a book. "Hey, what are you doing?"

"Hmm?" Takano looked up. "What?"

Ritsu huffed slightly. "Move over. That's my side of the bed."

A slow smile spread across Takano's face as he slid to his usual side of the bed. "What?" Ritsu asked suspiciously. "What are you up to? Smiling like that."

"Nothing." Takano just continued to grin.

"You're up to something."

"No, actually..." Takano laughed. "I just wanted to hear you claim it as 'my side of the bed'. That means we really are sharing a bed."

"You're weird," Ritsu huffed. He got under the covers.

"Yep, I'm weird. And you love it."

Ritsu rolled his eyes, and picked up the book he was currently reading off the nightstand. Following the decade old tradition, he was reading a book that Takano had recently finished. Takano looked over from his own book to tease him. "You know, the murderer turned out to be..."

"Stop!" Ritsu commanded. "Don't tell me!" He smirked as he turned the page. "Besides, I think I've already figured it out. The clues are pretty subtle, but they're all there. When Eve tells everyone at the party that she's adopted..."

"All wrong. You're barking up the wrong tree if you think it's anything to do with that. Guess again."

Ritsu made an annoyed noise and continued reading. A few minutes later, there was a rustling on Takano's side of the bed, under the covers, then everything was still again. Ritsu looked over warily. Takano was sitting up, smiling at his book. "What did you just do?"

"Nothing." Takano's voice was full of innocence, but a devious smile played on his lips. "Well, I've read about enough for tonight." He feigned a yawn and laid his book aside. "Good night." He clicked off his lamp and laid down, turning towards Ritsu.

Ritsu put his bookmark in place, then turned off his own lamp as well. He settled down with his back to Takano. Then he waited breathlessly for his lover to make a move.

Takano scooted a little closer, and then Ritsu felt something warm graze across a bare spot on his lower back where his shirt was pushed up. He thought it was Takano's knuckle... until the object slid across his skin again, and he realized what it was.

"Are you..." Ritsu paused, one eyebrow twitching. "Are you rubbing your dick on my back?" Takano's stifled giggles came as a positive answer. Ritsu spun around in the bed. "How OLD are you?! What the hell, that's like something a five year old would do! You're absolutely ridiculous!"

Takano cut off further complaints with a deep kiss. "Shut up and touch me," he said with a smile, when their lips came apart. He guided Ritsu's hand below his waist.

"Where are your boxers?" Ritsu asked, as he realized Takano's lower half was completely bare. "When did you take them off? Oh, that's what you were doing all sneaky earlier. You're impossible." Nevertheless, he stroked at the erection he had found.

Takano caught his mouth for another kiss, and reached around Ritsu's waist, sliding his hand down until his longest finger was teasing at Ritsu's entrance. Ritsu moaned into his mouth.

Takano broke off the kiss and pulled up, urging Ritsu to go facedown on the bed. He buried his face between Ritsu's ass cheeks and licked eagerly. Ritsu trembled uncontrollably and groaned in desire, spreading his legs wider. "D-Don't you get tired of doing that?" Ritsu asked worriedly. He loved it, but he couldn't imagine how it was enjoyable for his lover.

"Do you get tired of me doing it?" Takano asked between licks.

"Of course not," Ritsu moaned, his fingers clenching and unclenching handfuls of sheets. "It's so good."

"Then how could I get tired of it?" Ritsu let out a rapturous wail. "And that voice, by God," Takano groaned. "I'll do anything on earth to hear you do that." He teased Ritsu for a few more moments, then rose up on his knees. "I need you so badly," he panted, stroking at his surging erection.

Ritsu turned his head back to look at him with half-lidded, lust filled eyes. Takano groaned and hurriedly retrieved the lube. He slicked himself down and then inserted his slippery fingers inside of Ritsu. Ritsu whimpered in desire, coming up onto his hands and knees to get more. He bucked back at Takano's hand, driving his older lover crazy with need.

"I'm putting it in now," Takano warned him, as he removed his fingers and quickly replaced them with his throbbing cock. Ritsu cried out as the head pushed inside, and Takano paused to savor the hot, sweet feeling. Ritsu pressed his face into the pillow and moaned as Takano resumed his movement, sliding more of himself inside. "God, you're so perfect," Takano groaned. He buried himself inside Ritsu to the hilt, and stayed there, letting out a little grunt as Ritsu's muscles twitched and trembled all around him.

"Masamune..." Ritsu breathed out shakily.

"Can I thrust now?" Takano asked in a raspy voice. When Ritsu murmured in assent, Takano took him by the hips and began ramming him. Ritsu cried out in pure delight. He reached between his legs and began stroking himself, moaning in pleasure at the double sensation. Every time Takano slammed into him, it sent a shockwave of heavenly sensation through his whole body. And hearing the man he loved grunting in desire just made it all the more wonderful.

Ritsu pulled frantically at himself. "Oh God... I'm... mmmmm!" He shuddered and groaned as he released hard into his own hand.

"Oh, Ritsu. Ritsu." Takano was moaning in rapture. Ritsu's body was spasming and pulling at him relentlessly. "Ritsu!" He groaned in relief as he shot his load deep inside of Ritsu.

Takano lowered himself down onto Ritsu's back and embraced him, planting light kisses all over his neck. Ritsu craned his head around and their lips met for a kiss. Then with a sigh of satisfaction, Takano pulled out and set to work cleaning them both up. They were soon back under the covers, snuggled up for another happy night of sleep together.

The next day was Ritsu's birthday, and Ritsu woke up to find Takano gazing at him. "Happy birthday," Takano murmured, reaching out and petting Ritsu's head lovingly.

"Thank you." Ritsu yawned and stretched. "Twenty six," he mused.

"On the downward hill to thirty now," Takano teased him.

"Downward hill to thirty?" Ritsu repeated, huffing indignantly. "You're the one close to thirty! You've got two years head start on me!"

"I know." Takano laughed and ruffled his hair. "I'll always be one step ahead of you at everything."

"Hey!"

Takano just laughed again and rolled out of bed. "What would you like for breakfast?" he asked.

"Anything's fine," Ritsu responded.

"No," Takano admonished him. "It's your birthday. Tell me exactly what you want."

Ritsu sat up, running his hand through his hair. "Hmmm... well, how about waffles with strawberries on them?"

"Done," Takano said. He headed for the kitchen.

"Wait!" Ritsu jumped out of bed and followed after him. "How have you got the ingredients for that?"

Takano shrugged. "I guessed that was what you'd want."

"You're aggravating," Ritsu huffed.

At work, Ritsu was looking through manuscripts when Kisa burst upon him in a fluster. "Ricchan! You're late!" he exclaimed, tugging at Ritsu's sleeve.

"Late for what?" Ritsu looked at the clock, perplexed.

"That meeting with sales! It started at four o'clock!"

"What? I didn't know I had to go to anything like that!" Ritsu jumped up and pulled on his sweater. "What am I supposed to bring?"

"Nothing! Just go!"

Ritsu nodded in determination and hurried out of the office. He came back in a few seconds, however. "Where is this meeting at?"

Kisa looked surprised. "Oh, um..." He thought hard. "The smaller conference room on the third floor! Now go!"

Ritsu nodded again and started off at a run. He flew into the elevator and mashed the "3" button frantically. Once he was on the sales floor, he ran for the conference room and hesitantly knocked on the door once he was there. There was no response, so he listened at the door. He was confused to hear silence from inside, and he slowly eased the door open.

There was no one there. Ritsu just stood for a moment, then hurried off for the other conference room just in case Kisa had been wrong. However, he found that one unoccupied as well. So he headed for the main offices. The person he wanted least to see, of course, was the first person he ran into.

"Eh? Onodera?" Yokozawa looked even less enthusiastic than Ritsu felt. "What do you want?"

"Oh, um... they told me I was supposed to be at a meeting down here?"

"A meeting for what?"

"Well, I don't really know..." Ritsu felt really foolish now.

"You don't know?" Yokozawa sighed, annoyed and exasperated. "You're as wishy washy as ever."

"No, I'm not," Ritsu mumbled.

"Well, anyway, there's not a meeting down here that I'm aware of. Someone gave you false information."

Ritsu gritted his teeth. "Kisa..." He shook himself. "Sorry to bother you," he said, and turned to go.

"Onodera." Yokozawa called out. "How are things going with Masamune?"

"Oh, um..." Ritsu hesitated. "We, um... moved in together this week."

Yokozawa snorted. "Huh. Well, at least you seem to be trying now."

"H-How about you?" Ritsu managed to ask. "How are things with you and your... um...?" He was at a loss as to what that wavy haired man was to Yokozawa. Boyfriend? Lover? Or what?

"With me and my _what_?" Yokozawa's tone was icy.

Ritsu became flustered. "Th-that man that you were with the other night." He looked straight down at the floor, too embarrassed to look at Yokozawa.

To his surprise, Yokozawa began making all sorts of strange noises, and Ritsu looked up. Yokozawa was blushing fiercely and fidgeting with his collar. "That guy? There's absolutely nothing between him and me! It was just a work meeting. A work meeting!" Ritsu said nothing, shocked into silence, but Yokozawa misinterpreted that silence, and blustered on. "I mean, I can stand him anyway! He's absolutely insufferable! So don't start getting ideas about me and him because there is DEFINITELY nothing there!"

"Oh, I'm sorry..." Ritsu mumbled.

"I don't need your sympathy!" Yokozawa barked. He then made an aggravated noise and pushed past Ritsu. "_Excuse me_." He stormed off, leaving Ritsu to watch him go in confusion.

"What just happened there?" Ritsu wondered. He roused himself and headed for the elevator.

Once he got off at the fourth floor, he was surprised to see Kisa standing there, seemingly waiting for him. He scowled at the petite man. "You sent me off on a wild goose chase," he grumbled.

"Sorry about that, Ricchan!" Kisa was bright and apologetic. "Well, come on, let's get back to work!" He turned and hurried along the corridor ahead of Ritsu.

"You're a fucking weirdo," Ritsu mumbled to himself. He followed after Kisa, and then reeled back in shock when he stepped into the Emerald Editing department.

"Happy birthday!" all the editors cried out in unison.

"What the hell?" Ritsu murmured, but he couldn't hide the pleased smile that was sneaking out. "I'm a little too old for a surprise party, aren't I?"

"Of course not," Takano stepped forward and ruffled his hair affectionately.

"Any excuse for cake is fine with me!" Kisa said cheerfully. He was holding out a knife to Ritsu. "Hurry up and cut this thing, I'm starving!"

Ritsu rolled his eyes and took the knife. "So the whole meeting thing was a ruse to get me out of the office for a minute, huh?"

"Yep!" Kisa smiled cheekily. "I'm a pretty good actor when I want to be!" He giggled and lowered his voice. "You ought to see me fake an orgasm."

"No thanks," Ritsu deadpanned. He used the broad side of the knife to put a piece of cake on a plate. "But wait... there are actually men who fake orgasms? Why?"

Kisa laughed as he took the cake from Ritsu and began to eat it. "Oh, I'm not saying I have to do it anymore. But yeah, back in the old days... you know." He paused to eat another bite of cake. "You've got some dipshit one night stand hitting it from the back and doing a terrible job of it. You just want it to be over so you give a few moans and groans, shudder real hard and then pretend you caught it in your hand. Easy peasy." Kisa blissfully licked frosting off the handle of his fork.

"Oh, Kisa, you are so funny!" Minou was smiling cheerfully.

"What about you, Minou?" Kisa asked suggestively. "You ever faked an orgasm?"

"Oh, ha ha ha!" Minou replied. "You're silly. I've told you before, my work is my only love!"

"Hmmm." Kisa was always annoyed that he couldn't ever get any info out of Minou. No one even knew if the man was gay or straight. "Well, I bet if you did fake an orgasm, you'd be smiling right through it."

"Ha ha ha! You are probably right!"

"Oh, God," Ritsu rolled his eyes and dished up more cake. "What lovely birthday party conversation!"

That night, Takano took Ritsu to his favorite sushi bar, where they dined on the best sashimi in the city. "Hey, keep your chopsticks off my plate," Ritsu warned him.

"I can't help it. I love nibbling on your delicious pink meat," Takano teased him. He stole a piece of salmon and ate it in one bite.

"You..." Ritsu groaned.

"Has this been a good birthday?" Takano asked him.

"The best I've had yet," Ritsu admitted.

"It's the first time we've spent your birthday together," Takano pointed out.

"I know. That's what I meant," Ritsu's face flushed and he looked away.

Takano just smiled and took his hand, giving it a kiss. "Here's to many, many more birthdays together."


	10. Chapter 10

"Two, please." Ritsu couldn't hide his giddiness as he stepped up to the ticket window at Tokyo Disneyland. He had been waiting all week for Saturday to come so that they could go to the park together.

"Yes, sir!" The employee punched a few buttons, and called out a total.

Takano and Ritsu battled briefly on who was going to pay, but Takano eventually won. "It's my treat," he insisted.

"And are you two celebrating anything today?" the cashier asked as she handed over their tickets.

"Oh yes." Takano's eyes got that devilish gleam, and Ritsu was already groaning. "We're on our honeymoon," he said smoothly.

"Oh, congratulations!" the woman said cheerfully. She offered up two large Mickey Mouse buttons with "Just Married" emblazoned on them. "Please wear these so that other cast members will know to congratulate you as well!"

"No! He's just kidding!" Ritsu exclaimed frantically. "It's my birthday! My birthday!"

"Oh, I see," the unflappable woman said, putting away the newlywed buttons. She handed over a birthday button instead. "Have a magical day!"

They walked into the park, Ritsu skulking behind Takano slightly as he pinned on his birthday button. "How can you joke like that?" he fumed.

Takano shrugged. "Well, it kind of feels like a honeymoon, doesn't it? So it just slipped out."

"You shouldn't kid around about that," Ritsu huffed. "Telling people we're married."

Takano just smiled and laced his fingers into Ritsu's. "But sometimes it feels like we really are married. We're just like a silly married couple, always bickering with each other and then making love afterwards."

Ritsu turned red up to the roots of his hair. "I'm telling you to please not joke around about it!"

"Oh? Why not? You don't want to be married to me?"

Ritsu snatched his hand away and turned his back to Takano. "It's not that at all!"

"Then what is it?" Takano stepped forward and turned Ritsu around, and was surprised to see him brushing away a tear.

"Don't look at me!" Ritsu huffed, turning his face away.

"What's wrong, Ritsu?" Takano was alarmed now.

"You just joke so easily about us being married or on our honeymoon. Don't you know that it hurts me?" Ritsu sounded exasperated.

"But why? I mean that I'm that happy and comfortable with you!"

"It hurts me because... because we can't really ever get married!" Ritsu shouted, covering up his embarrassed face. "You know it's not possible and still you tease me with it!"

Takano just stared at him, stunned into silence for a moment. Then he laid a gentle hand on Ritsu's shoulder. "Ritsu. Are you saying that you actually want to be married to me?"

"Well, of course!" Ritsu exclaimed. "It's all I've wanted since I was twelve years old! And I know it's impossible, and it's so frustrating, and then you just keep joking about it!"

"Oh, Ritsu," Takano sighed, and embraced him. He then pulled away and took Ritsu by the hand. He tugged him a little farther along the World Bazaar until they were within view of the castle, and then he stopped right in the middle of the walkway and dropped to one knee in front of him.

Ritsu's eyes went wide. "Okay, what are you doing? Stop. This is taking it entirely too far." He could feel that people around had stopped and were watching, but he couldn't rip his eyes from Takano's face. He was holding Ritsu's hand and gazing up at him with the most dreamlike, loving expression.

When Takano spoke, his voice was low and serious. "Ritsu. You're the only person I've ever loved. Will you marry me?"

Ritsu just stared at him in shock, and then shut his tear filled eyes and shuddered. He decided to stop fighting and just go with the moment. "Yes," he whispered.

He was startled as the people around started cheering in approval, and his eyes flew open. "How romantic!" one woman exclaimed.

Ritsu was so embarrassed he didn't know what to do. Takano stood up and enveloped him in a crushing embrace, and Ritsu was relieved to be able to hide his face for a minute in the man's chest. "But... I just told you that it's impossible," he murmured into Takano's shirt. "It's not legal."

"We'll figure out a way," Takano assured him. He stroked Ritsu's head lovingly and let out a happy sigh. "Oh, Ritsu. I love you so much."

"I love you," Ritsu replied.

They pulled apart after a few moments, and Ritsu was relieved to see that the crowd was dissipating. "Excuse me, sirs," a Disney employee was saying, and Ritsu stepped farther away from Takano in alarm, worried that they were about to be reprimanded for their public display of affection. "I managed to get a shot of that proposal! Here is your Photo Pass card!" He explained the system for ordering prints from the card, and Takano accepted the card with thanks. "Congratulations!" the photographer said, and then went back to his station.

Takano took Ritsu's hand in his own, and smiled. "So, what shall we ride first?"

Ritsu let out a laughing exhale. "I don't know. I feel like I just went on a pretty big roller coaster already!" He held a hand to his chest. "My heart won't stop pounding."

"Neither will mine," Takano said. He pressed Ritsu's hand to his own chest, and Ritsu could feel Takano's heartbeat thundering there.

He blushed and took his hand away. "Well, we might as well ride Space Mountain since we're already like this," Ritsu suggested.

So they headed for Tomorrowland. The line for Space Mountain was pretty long, but it gave Ritsu and Takano time to talk while they waited. "So..." Takano began. "You've wanted to marry me since you were twelve?"

"Y-yeah, so?" Ritsu stammered. "I knew it was a silly dream to have, but I wanted it anyway."

Takano smiled. "I'm sure you had all sorts of cute fantasies about our happy married life."

"M-Maybe."

"Tell me all about it."

"Well..." Ritsu hesitated. "You know... I thought about how you'd come home from work, all tired after a long day, and I'd have dinner ready for you, and you'd be so happy and grateful." He blushed. "Just stupid stuff like that."

"It's not stupid," Takano assured him. "I love it. Tell me more."

"Um..." Ritsu looked at the ground. He lowered his voice. "And maybe one time, you'd come home and I'd be wearing nothing but an apron."

"Ooh!" Takano sounded delighted. "I love that!" He took Ritsu's hand and squeezed it.

"St-stop..." Ritsu protested weakly. His eyes darted back and forth to the crowd around them. "There are so many people here."

"Who cares?" Takano insisted. Ritsu gave in with an embarrassed but happy sigh.

They had fun all day, riding rides together and enjoying the sights. When it came time for the fireworks, the pathways were so crowded with people standing around waiting for the show that it was hard to find a place to watch from. Takano got an idea, and he grabbed Ritsu's hand and hurried towards Westernland. There, they went in the entrance for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - and since everyone was out waiting for the fireworks to start, there was no line whatsoever. Within two minutes they were on the ride.

The first colorful explosion came as they ascended the hill at the start of the ride. Ritsu gasped. "Wow, it's so beautiful from up - " His words cut off into a scream as the train plummeted down the hill. The fireworks continued to boom and burst overhead as the ride continued. Takano smiled and put his arm over Ritsu's shoulders, enjoying every moment. As the ride came around the last bend, he leaned over and kissed Ritsu sweetly on the mouth. Ritsu shuddered against him, happy beyond all belief.

Ritsu dozed on and off during the ride back home. Once they were back in their apartment, they locked mouths and edged toward the bedroom, shedding clothes as they went. "Oh, Ritsu," Takano breathed, as they came up for air. "You really want to marry me?" He pulled his t-shirt up and off, leaving his black hair tufted up in places.

"Yes," Ritsu whispered eagerly, as he stepped out of his pants. They fell onto the bed together, kissing once more.

"Let's do it as soon as possible," Takano said, his voice sounding urgent.

"Yes, but get the lube first," Ritsu panted back.

"No, not that," Takano chuckled. "I mean, I want to do that right now, but I mean..." He looked into his eyes, his hand on Ritsu's face. "I'm going to figure out how we can get married. And then I want to do it as soon as possible."

"Oh." Ritsu trembled underneath Takano.

"Or is that not okay with you? Do you need to wait a while?"

Ritsu shook his head slightly. "I've been waiting long enough," he said. "More than half my life."

"Oh, Ritsu." Takano captured his lips again and kissed him deeply. He shoved a hand down the front of Ritsu's underwear, fondling his erection. Ritsu mirrored the action on Takano, getting his hand down his pants and stroking his cock.

They pumped at each other, desperately worked up. More clothes were shed until they were completely naked, and Takano pulled Ritsu up into his lap. Ritsu popped the bottle of lube open and drizzled a copious amount onto Takano's erection, then worked his fingers inside of himself until he was loosened up. Then he spread his thighs and lowered himself down onto Takano's waiting cock.

"Good God, Ritsu," Takano groaned. He put his hands on Ritsu's hips and buried his face in his neck. It was so perfectly tight and hot inside.

"Masamune..." Ritsu moaned. He threw his head back and cried out in pleasure as Takano's hardness struck that delicious bundle of nerves inside himself.

They thrust frantically against each other. Ritsu reached down in between their bodies and stroked at himself, then their mouths met and they kissed deeply. Ritsu broke away from the kiss to cry out. "Masamune! I'm...!"

"Oh, Ritsu, yes..." Takano grunted. "Come... for me." Ritsu wailed beautifully, and Takano groaned in pleasure as he felt a hot splash of release strike his stomach. He held on tightly to Ritsu's hips and drilled upwards, finding completion there with a satisfied groan.

At work on Monday, Ritsu was startled when Kisa started whooping and hollering out of nowhere. "What is this? WHAT IS THIS?" he cried, holding a framed picture over his head while standing in front of Takano's desk. He was squealing excitedly, and he put the picture to his face and looked at it again. "What haven't you told me, Ricchan?!"

"Eh? What are you talking about?" Ritsu stood up and crossed over, taking the picture frame from Kisa. He blanched as he saw what it was - the picture the Disney photographer had taken of Takano's proposal. Cinderella's Castle loomed in the distance, while Ritsu stood with one hand over his mouth as Takano bent on one knee before him.

"Did something happen?! Did SOMETHING happen?!" Kisa squealed.

"Well, th-that's..."

"Is this what I think it is?" Kisa was practically dancing in excitement.

Takano breezed into the office then, and took the photo from Kisa. He set it back down on the desk, and then pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose with a satisfied smile. "Yes, we have some very big news to announce," he said, his voice triumphant. "Onodera and I are getting married."

"Oh my God!" Kisa squealed, his eyes shut tight. He turned to Ritsu and grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him. "This is SO awesome! It's like a fairy tale come true! Oh please, can I be in the wedding? I'll be your best man! Or your bridesmaid, or whatever the hell you have! Fuck, I'll be the flower girl if I have to! This is just so freaking awesome!"

Ritsu just held his head. "Kisa..." he groaned.

"So, will your name change to Takano?" Kisa wanted to know.

"I'm n-not sure," Ritsu responded.

Kisa put his hands on his hips. "Geez, you haven't really thought this through, have you, Ricchan? What, you just said yes in the heat of the moment?"

"Pretty much," Ritsu admitted.

"It's still awesome!" Kisa said gleefully. "I'm so happy for both of you lovey dovey bastards!"

"Thanks, Kisa," Ritsu said, and Takano threw an arm over his shoulders and kissed the top of his head.


	11. Chapter 11

Kisa paused while washing his hands, cocking an eyebrow at the sound of someone throwing up in a stall. He waited for a minute, and when Ritsu emerged, he was ready with some teasing. "Oh, so I see why you're in a rush to get married. Takano-san knocked you up, eh?"

"Shut up," Ritsu laughed weakly.

"But seriously, are you all right?"

"Yeah, I think I'm fine. I just shouldn't have had that Korean BBQ for lunch. Ugh." Ritsu rinsed his mouth off in the sink and then dried his face. "Though, I don't really feel any better now."

He was sipping a bottle of water at his desk a few minutes later when his face grew pale. He jumped up and ran off for the bathroom, leaving his coworkers watching quizzically. "Oi. Is he all right?" Takano asked worriedly. He would have followed, but he was on hold with the printers.

"He said his stomach's upset from lunch," Kisa explained.

The scene repeated itself several times, until Takano would not accept a bad lunch as the reason why Ritsu was so ill. "Come on, we're going to the hospital," he said firmly, taking Ritsu by the elbow and pulling him up.

"The hospital?!" Ritsu exclaimed, alarmed. "It's not that serious!"

"If it was just food poisoning, you wouldn't still be throwing up," Takano insisted. "Now, come on."

At the hospital, things moved rapidly. Ritsu was ushered into an examination room, where a nurse asked him a series of questions. "It's probably this vicious stomach virus we've got going around, but just to be sure..." Ritsu squealed as she placed her cold gloved hands on his abdomen. He then screamed in pure misery as she pressed down. "Yep," she said, almost triumphantly. "I'm getting the doctor immediately." She hustled out of the room.

"What did that mean?" Ritsu asked worriedly. He cringed and opened the vomit bag they had given him as a wave of nausea attacked. But he held on with all his might and managed to not throw up for the seventeenth time that day.

"I don't know." Takano was trying his best to remain calm for Ritsu's sake. He could tell that his fiance was on the edge of panic, and he didn't want to be the one to cause him to flip out. But he was dying inside with all sorts of fears and imaginings. He gritted his teeth and clenched his hands, resolved to stay impassive.

"Do you think something's seriously wrong with me?" Ritsu demanded.

"Probably not," Takano responded in the breeziest tone he could manage. He forced a smile. "They'll probably just give you some super strong nausea medicine, and I'll take you home and you can sleep for the rest of the day."

Ritsu managed to smile weakly. "Being cuddled up in our bed sounds really good right now." He closed his eyes, and then grimaced as his stomach spasmed.

The nurse came back into the room briefly to tell them that the doctor would be in soon, and for Ritsu to change into the gown she brought. "Oh man..." Ritsu groaned, holding up the thin and open backed garment.

"I'll leave so you can get changed." The nurse paused in the doorway. "What about your friend? Wouldn't you like him to step out too?" She looked quizzically at Takano.

"Oh, I've seen him naked plenty of times," Takano said, waving his hand. Ritsu just rolled his eyes, and the nurse suppressed a laugh as she left the room.

Ritsu changed into the gown and laid back in the bed, looking worried. The doctor appeared then, brisk and businesslike. "You're Ritsu Onodera?" The words were barely out of his mouth before he had his hands on Ritsu and was palpating his lower abdomen.

"No!" Ritsu screamed.

"Oh, you're not Ritsu Onodera?" The doctor paused to consult the chart he had laid on the side of the hospital bed.

"Yes, I am Ritsu Onodera," Ritsu admitted in a shaky voice. "That just hurt a lot!" he huffed indignantly.

The doctor scribbled some things on the chart, then turned to the nurse who was standing in the doorway. "Go ahead and give him 1mg of morphine and some phenergan. You're right, it's a pretty textbook case. And order 45mL of Gastroview..." He turned his attention to Ritsu. "What's your least favorite kind of juice? Grape, apple, or orange?"

"What?" Ritsu was bewildered. "Don't you mean my most favorite? And what's all this for?"

"No, I mean your LEAST favorite," the doctor confirmed. "Because after you drink it with Gastroview in it, you'll never want it again."

"Orange, I guess?" Ritsu responded, looking overwhelmed.

The doctor resumed speaking to the nurse. "45mL of Gastroview in orange juice, please. Call CT and give them the heads up that we're sending one their way in the next fifteen minutes. We're going to need to hurry, I have a feeling."

"Excuse me, but hurry with what?" Takano was on his feet now, struggling to remain composed. "Just what is wrong with him?" he demanded.

The doctor looked at him blankly, and then laughed apologetically. "Oh, I always go about things in the wrong order. It's most likely appendicitis. The CT will confirm it, I'm sure."

"Appendicitis?" Ritsu wailed. "Does that mean I have to have surgery?"

"Well, of course," the doctor said.

Ritsu began weeping openly, and Takano leaned over the bed, embracing him protectively. "You'll be fine," he assured him, but his voice was shaking, in agony to see his beloved like this. He buried his face in Ritsu's hair.

"It's a very routine, laparoscopic surgery," the doctor advised. "But of course, per hospital policy, I have to tell you that all surgery runs risks up to and including death." Ritsu wailed again, and Takano lifted his head to glare menacingly at the doctor.

The nurse reappeared then, and began setting up an IV. "You need these fluids, hon," she said as she got to work. "Big stick now. Take a breath." Ritsu cried out as she stuck the large needle in his arm and secured it with medical tape. "And I'll go ahead and give you your dose of morphine now. You'll be feeling a lot better in a minute." She injected a syringe of something into the tubing, and a few seconds later Ritsu felt a warm rush go through his body, not unlike the post sex glow he got from Takano regularly. He visibly relaxed and exhaled, and the nurse smiled and nodded. "I told you so."

The nurse opened up a small bottle of orange juice, and then poured it into a large cup along with something that looked like motor oil. "I'm very sorry for this, but you'll have to drink it all," she said, as she handed over the cup. "Bottoms up."

Ritsu took a hesitant sip, and then recoiled. "What is this stuff?! It's terrible!"

"It's contrast dye, so the imaging techs can see your insides better," she told him. "I know it's pretty bad. But you've got to get it all down."

Ritsu nodded his head resolutely and set to work chugging the cup. He had to pause and gag a few times, but he finally drank it down. He stuck his tongue out in revulsion as he handed the empty cup back to the nurse.

A few minutes later, a transporter showed up to take him to imaging. Ritsu was wheeled down to the CT room, where a large white capsule like machine scanned his body. Afterwards, he was rolled back, and he anxiously awaited the return of the doctor with the results.

"Maybe I'm fine," Ritsu said, trying to laugh casually. "Maybe it's just a stomach virus after all."

"Maybe." Takano looked tense, his hands clasped together and pressed to his forehead. He had pushed his chair up close to Ritsu's bed, and was trying to stay strong for Ritsu, but was rapidly falling apart inside at the idea of Ritsu having to have surgery. He broke his fixed stare away from the wall and turned to look at Ritsu. Ritsu's lower lip began trembling in response, and tears slowly dropped from his eyes. "It's going to be fine," Takano said mechanically, trying to sound soothing. He took Ritsu's hands in his own. "I'll be here, no matter what."

There was a brief knock at the door, and then the doctor entered holding a sheaf of images. "Yep, it's your appendix," he confirmed, holding the page to the light. "About six times the normal size right now, I'd say." He lowered the image. "So you're going up to surgery immediately. It's got to come out as soon as possible."

"What? No! I'm not ready!" Ritsu exclaimed, panicked. "Masamune!" he cried in desperation, as the transporter reappeared and started taking the brakes off his bed.

"It's going to be all right, Ritsu," Takano promised. He was shaking as he squeezed Ritsu's hand and dropped down to briefly kiss him on the forehead. "I'll be right there when you come out."

Ritsu hiccuped through his tears. "I'm scared," he whispered.

"You'll be okay. I promise." Takano took Ritsu's face in his hands and kissed him on the lips, not caring who was watching. "I love you."

"I love you," Ritsu answered back, and then his bed started to move away with a jerk.

Takano stood and helplessly watched him roll away, his heart breaking. He made his way to the surgery waiting room in a trance. Once there, he slumped down in a chair and stared at the wall.

An untold amount of time passed before he finally stirred. He stood up and crossed over to the reception desk, where he inquired about Ritsu's status. The receptionist informed him that Ritsu had just entered surgery and it would be at least two hours before he would be out. Takano thanked her and then shuffled back to his seat, feeling miserable.

He finally took out his phone and played with it aimlessly. His fingers worked of their own accord, and he found himself pulling up Yokozawa's contact information. Before he really knew what he was doing, he had pressed Call.

"Masamune?" Yokozawa's voice came through, sounding surprised but pleased to see his old friend's name on his caller ID.

Takano opened his mouth to say something, but then all that came out were sobs. He leaned forward in the chair, his free hand covering his eyes, as he cried.

"Masamune!" Yokozawa was alarmed now. "What's going on? Are you all right?"

Takano managed to regain some composure, and spoke in a choked voice, explaining the situation. "And I'm so sorry to be bothering you with this, after how I've hurt you..." he finished apologetically.

Yokozawa cut him off. "No matter what's happened, you're still my friend, dammit, and I'm going to be there for you when you need me. Hold on, I'll be right there."

Takano thanked him and gave him directions, then slumped back in the chair. He closed his eyes and tried to push out the worries that threatened to fill his mind.

Yokozawa appeared in the waiting room 45 minutes later, but not alone. To Takano's surprise, he had a young girl with him. "I'm sorry," Yokozawa explained. "But right after you called me, her dad called and begged me to pick her up... I didn't want her waiting at the school after it got dark." He gestured to the girl. "This is Hiyori. She's the daughter of Kirishima from Japun. I've kind of gotten, er, mixed up with their family... it's hard to explain. Anyway... um, Hiyo, this is Takano, my old friend."

The girl's pretty little face lit up. "Takano-san?" she exclaimed. "Sora's original daddy?"

Takano was puzzled, but managed to smile. "How do you know Sorata?"

"He's come to live with us! He sleeps in my bed!"

Takano raised his eyebrows. "You live with Yokozawa?"

"Uh huh." She nodded eagerly. "It's me and Daddy and Onii-chan and Sora-chan."

"Oh, I see. So Sorata sleeps with you? Doesn't Yokozawa... I mean, your Onii-chan get lonely?"

"Why would he be lonely?" Hiyo cocked her head to the side. "He sleeps in Daddy's room. Well, except for the nights where Daddy teases him too much, and Onii-chan goes in the guest bedroom and locks the door!"

Takano couldn't hide his amused smile as he looked at Yokozawa, who was fidgeting and getting red.

"A-Anyway!" Yokozawa stammered. He flopped down in the chair next to Takano. "I'm here to give you moral support, so be grateful."

"Oh, I am," Takano assured him. He was reminded of the current situation, and his face fell. "I just wish I could know if he's okay or not." He clasped his hands together and pressed them to his lips.

"What's wrong? Is somebody sick?" Hiyo asked Takano.

"Yes... somebody very special to me is in there having surgery," Takano explained to her. "I'm worried and scared," he admitted.

"I know how you feel." Hiyo patted his hand comfortingly. "When Sora had to go to the vet 'cause he wasn't eating his food, I was real scared. But Onii-chan was even more scared so I had to be strong for him. So I didn't cry at all. But inside, my tummy was going whoom whoom whoom and my heart was going bam bam bam." She sat down on the other side of Takano. "Is your heart going bam bam bam?"

"Yeah," Takano admitted.

"Just take a BIG deep breath and let it all out. And then think about happy things, like eating ice cream. Okay?"

"Okay." Takano couldn't help but smile as he followed her instructions.

"There, don't you feel better now?"

"I do."

"Good boy." Hiyo patted him on the hand again.

Takano and Yokozawa looked at each other, and burst out laughing. "Oh wow," Takano finally said when he could speak again. "She's really a cute kid." He wiped tears of laughter out of his eyes.

"I'm not a kid," Hiyo pouted. "I'm ALMOST eleven years old!"

"You're right, Hiyo," Yokozawa conceded, soothing her. "You're a big girl."

They all talked for a while, and Hiyo happily showed Takano pictures of Sorata on her cell phone. Takano was amused to see pictures of Yokozawa mingled in between, especially the one of Yokozawa passed out on the couch with his head in Hiyo's father's lap. Yokozawa got angry and demanded that Hiyo delete that one, but Hiyo just laughed him off.

"Finally found people that can handle his irritable ass," Takano chuckled to himself. He excused himself to go up to the reception and check on Ritsu's status.

The receptionist consulted her computer screen, and nodded. "Looks like he's already in the post-op ward. It says here his room will be 1553. He's not there yet, but you are welcome to go there and wait for him if you wish."

"Thanks, I will." Takano walked back over to Yokozawa and Hiyo. "He's out of surgery now," he told them, the relief evident in his voice. "I'm going to go up to the room and wait for him."

"Are you all right from here?" Yokozawa asked.

"Yeah, I think I will be. You guys really cheered me up." He smiled down at Hiyo. "Thanks, Hiyo. It was nice to meet you. Please continue to take care of Sorata for me."

"I will!" Hiyo jumped up and gave him a hug, and then bounded for the exit. "Come on, Onii-chan! We got to make it to Mottoke before the sale is over! I want to make banana pudding tonight!"

Yokozawa gave a deep chuckle, then turned and glanced at his friend. He clapped him on the shoulder. "See you later," he said. "Let's not be such strangers from now on."

"Agreed." Takano nodded, and then they parted ways.

He took the elevator up to the fifth floor, and after asking directions, made his way to room 1553. It was dark and eerily still inside the room, the smell of hospital disinfectant lingering on the sterilized surfaces. Takano walked over to the chair by the bed and sat down, preparing himself to wait.

An orderly entered the room a few minutes later, and was startled to switch on the lights and see a man sitting there. "Oh! You scared me!" he exclaimed. He approached the bed and took the brakes off of it, and began wheeling it out. "The patient is already on a bed," he explained.

"Do you know when he'll be brought in?" Takano asked hopefully.

"Should be any time now," the orderly responded. "That's why they sent me to clear this one out." He left with it, whistling.

Takano laced his fingers together and tried to wait patiently.

He lifted his head up sharply when he thought he heard Ritsu's voice carrying down the hallway. His heart leapt when he realized Ritsu was crying. A hospital bed appeared in the doorway, and sure enough, it was Ritsu, being wheeled by two employees.

"Ritsu!" Takano jumped to his feet and rushed forward. "Thank God! Are you all right? Why are you crying? Are you in pain?" Ritsu was bawling and carrying on in a confused fashion.

The nurse spoke up. "He's having a bit of post-anesthetic delirium," she explained. "When he came to, he did NOT appreciate that he had been intubated and catheterized during the surgery."

Ritsu's big green eyes were red rimmed and full of tears as he looked at Takano. "Senpai! They stuck a tube down my throat and put a thing in my weewee and it HURTS!" He reached over and clutched desperately at Takano's shirt. "Senpai, help me! Don't let them hurt me anymore!"

"I won't," Takano assured him. He lowered himself and embraced Ritsu deeply, breathing in the scent at the top of his head. "You're all right now."

Ritsu sighed in relief. "Oh, Senpai..." he sobbed quietly.

The nurse set up his IV and injected some medication into it. "He should calm down pretty soon," she told Takano. She fluffed up Ritsu's pillow as he glared at her suspiciously. "I'm not going to do anything to you, I swear," she said reassuringly to him. "Now, would you like some dinner? It's not too late for me to get you a tray from the kitchen."

Ritsu's expression changed completely. "Oh, could you?" he pleaded. "I'm absolutely starving."

"No problem." She exited, leaving Takano and Ritsu alone together.

"Oh, Ritsu," Takano breathed out, embracing him again. "You don't know how relieved I am! Does it hurt, where they did the surgery?"

"No, that's the weird thing," Ritsu said. "More than anything, I just feel so much better in that whole area," he gestured to his abdomen, "to get that thing out." He clasped his throat. "But my throat is on fire and so is my..." his hand fell to his crotch.

Takano clucked sympathetically. "That'll go away eventually."

"Oh, that's right," Ritsu suddenly realized. "You've had this surgery before. I forgot about that scar on your stomach. It's pretty faint now. How old were you?"

"Eight," Takano answered. "Only unlike yours, my appendix actually ruptured. I waited too long to tell anyone that I was hurting. My parents were both busy, so I hid in my room and prayed it would go away. I didn't want to be a problem. When my mother came to get me up for school, I had a fever of 105 and that's when they rushed me to the hospital. It ruptured on the way there. I was out of school for three weeks because of the recovery."

"Wow..." Ritsu breathed. "I feel so bad for you, that you felt like you couldn't even tell your parents when you were sick."

Takano sighed. "Yeah, they don't appreciate any kind of weakness." He kissed Ritsu again. "I'm just so glad you're okay."

There was a knock at the door. "Come in," Ritsu called in a raspy voice. "Oh, I hope that's my dinner. I'm so hungry."

"Well, that's no wonder. You threw up your lunch and..."

"Ricchan!" Ritsu's childhood friend, An Konohata, hurried into the room. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine now, An-chan," Ritsu assured her.

She came up on the side of the hospital bed and grasped his hand. "I was so worried when I got your text! I was in Osaka, but I took the first train here that I could!"

"You didn't have to do that," Ritsu said apologetically. "I texted her from the ER," he explained to Takano. "Oh, um, you guys have met before, right?"

"Yeah, at the New Years' party," An said. "How are you, Next-Door Neighbor-San?"

Takano chuckled. "I'm fine. Better now that I know that Ritsu is all right."

"He's not my next door neighbor anymore," Ritsu spoke up. He looked at Takano. "We moved in together. And An... he asked me to marry him."

"Oh my goodness!" An exclaimed. She clapped her hands over her mouth. "Wow, that's so wonderful! Congratulations!"

"You're not mad?" Ritsu asked, a little apprehensively.

"A year ago, I would have been pissed," An admitted. "But I've had time to come to terms with everything. I realize now that it never would have worked between us. Really, your heart could never have been in it. After all, you gave it away to this guy back in middle school."

"That's true," Ritsu agreed, smiling. Takano reached over and took his hand, lacing their fingers together, and he smiled as well.

"Have you told your parents?" An asked, looking worried.

"About the engagement? No," Ritsu snorted. "After all, they already rejected our relationship before we were even getting married... so..." He quickly filled An in on the disastrous meeting.

"That's terrible!" An cried. "Well, oh crap. What's gonna happen when they get here?"

"Get here? Why would they come?" Ritsu asked her. "I only contacted you."

"Yeah, but..." An looked sheepish. "I didn't know you were on the outs with them. I called your mom once I got into Tokyo and told her you were having surgery!"

"Oh, no," Ritsu groaned. "Masamune, where's that bag with my stuff?"

It was hanging on the foot of Ritsu's hospital bed. Takano dug through the clothes and found Ritsu's phone, which he had turned on silent. There were several missed calls and voice messages in the last hour, all from Ritsu's mother. Ritsu scrolled through them but did not listen. "I better call her and tell her not to come..."

"Too late," An said from the doorway. She stepped back into the room, closely followed by the Onoderas.

"Ricchan!" Mrs. Onodera cried. She hurried forward, leaning over the hospital bed and embracing her son. "We came as soon as we could! Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Ritsu answered her. "Just a little sore in different places. I'm going to be all right. It was just a minor surgery."

"There's no such thing as a minor surgery when it's happening to my only son," Mrs. Onodera argued. She looked up then, realizing for the first time that Takano was in the room, and she stiffened up and became formal. "Oh. It's you."

Ritsu rolled his eyes and gave a deep inhale through his nose. "Mom. Of course it's him. And you know, I was stubborn and didn't want to come to the hospital. If it weren't for him looking out for me, my appendix might have ruptured."

"Well. I suppose I have to thank you for that." Mrs. Onodera couldn't bring herself to look Takano in the face, so she was addressing his left shoulder.

"I promised I would take care of Ritsu," Takano said quietly. "And I meant that."

"Well, we might as well go ahead and tell you," Ritsu said. "Masamune and I are getting married."

Mrs. Onodera gave a sharp gasp. "Married? But you... you can't do that. It's not legal."

"We're going to figure out a way," Ritsu insisted. "We've been looking into things. Even though it won't be legally binding, we found a Buddhist temple in the Kanagawa Prefecture that will perform the ceremony, and we're going to have a reception for our friends... and family. That is if any of our family will come." He looked pointedly at his mother. "I know this is hard for you to understand, Mom, but I'm happy. I really am. Your vision for my life was never going to work. I can't be happy if I'm not with him."

"I just..." Mrs. Onodera sank down in the bedside chair. "It's a lot for me to take in." She clenched her hands in her lap and looked down at them. "Can you... can you give me some more time to think about it?"

"Yeah, I can do that." Ritsu actually felt a little relieved at her reaction. Hesitant was way better than straight up negative.

Mr. Onodera stepped forward placed his hand on his wife's shoulder. "Come on, darling, let's let him rest." He looked up at his son. "I'm glad you're all right," he said sincerely.

"Thanks, Dad," Ritsu responded, giving a little smile.

The Onoderas exited, and An left shortly after. Ritsu and Takano looked at each other. "Well, that went better than expected," Takano said.

"Just a tiny bit better than last time, eh?" Ritsu managed to laugh. He leaned back in the bed and gave a big sigh of relief. "But there's one very important thing to ask right now."

"Hm? What's that?"

"Where's my damn dinner?!" Ritsu demanded.

Takano laughed. "I'll go check on that." He leaned down and kissed Ritsu on the forehead. "I love you, Ritsu."

"I love you, too," Ritsu replied, smiling up gratefully at his lover.


	12. Chapter 12

"Knock, knock! Hope you're decent, because I'm coming in!" Kisa cried out cheerfully as he entered Takano and Ritsu's apartment.

Ritsu sat up in bed, wincing slightly as he moved his stapled abdomen. "I'm decent," he said laughingly.

"Whoa, look at that bedhead!" Kisa exclaimed when he laid eyes on Ritsu. "And check out those yellow duckie pajamas. Woo hoo, is that your sexy lingerie for Takano-san?"

"Whatever," Ritsu groaned, rolling his eyes. He accepted the packet of papers and the bag of takeout noodles from Kisa.

"Did Takano-san warn you that I was coming?" Kisa asked.

"Yeah, he texted a little while ago to say he was stuck in a meeting and he was sending you instead."

"So, how are you holding up?" Kisa plopped down on the bed next to Ritsu.

"Pretty well." Ritsu shrugged. "The pain medicine makes me dizzy, so I try to stay off my feet as much as possible. I just get up to go to the bathroom, and even then I walk very slowly and carefully." He laughed. "I fell down on the first day home, and you would have thought it was the end of the world! He insisted on carrying me around the apartment for the rest of the day. He's just a little bit overprotective."

"That's because he looooooves you," Kisa teased. "Hey, show me the scars."

Ritsu lifted one eyebrow. "Well, there's not much to see, really." He lifted up the edge of his pajama top and showed Kisa the 1cm incision to the right of his navel. It was slightly red around the edges and held shut with two staples.

"Wow," Kisa breathed. "They did the whole surgery through that one hole?"

"Well, no," Ritsu admitted. "There are two incisions, one that's twice as big. But they are kind of... low down."

Kisa waggled his eyebrows. "Like, how low down?"

"Let's just say they had to shave a little bit before hand," Ritsu laughed.

"They had to shave you?" Kisa queried. "You mean you don't keep it bare down there?"

"What? No, I don't," Ritsu responded. "Wait... do you?"

"Well, of course," Kisa snorted. "I like to keep myself well groomed for my man."

Ritsu laughed. "I mean, I _trim_ it. But I don't shave it all the way off. Then it grows back all prickly and itchy, like it's doing now." He grimaced. "I hate it."

Kisa shrugged. "I've actually taken to waxing for just that reason."

Ritsu yelped. "I bet that hurts like hell!"

"Beauty's a bitch," Kisa mused.

"So, wait. You're bare down there AND you look half your age? I bet you have satisfied quite a few perverts with your underage looking body."

"Yeah, I have," Kisa admitted, but laughed it off. "I'll never forget the guy who wanted me to scream out, 'Oh, yes, Daddy, yes!' the whole time." He made a sour face. "Remember when I told you that I can fake an orgasm? That's the fastest I ever faked one and I got the hell out of there!" He and Ritsu both laughed. "Well, speaking of getting out of here, I better hurry back to the office before Takano-san gets out of that meeting and flips his lid at me for dawdling too much." He rolled his eyes. "You need to hurry up and recover, because the Emerald Editing team may not survive many more days of this version of Takano-san."

Ritsu tilted his head to the side. "What do you mean, this version of Takano-san? Him being all worried about me?"

"No, silly," Kisa laughed. "Steaming Tower of Sexual Frustration Takano-san."

Ritsu's mouth fell open. "WHAT?"

"Yeah, you can't tell he's pent up?"

"No, he's just overly worried and fussing over me the whole time he's here, which hasn't been much since hell week is coming up," Ritsu admitted.

"Well, yeah. He's six feet of smoldering repressed lust. He's constantly gritting his teeth and clenching his fists. Oh yeah, he's about to burst."

"He should have said something to me!" Ritsu insisted.

"And what are you going to do about it?" Kisa countered. "That's right, nothing. I'm sure the doctor told you to refrain from intense activity, and I can't imagine that sex with Takano-san is ever NOT intense. Plus, if the pain pills are making you dopey, you'd be a sorry lay anyway."

"Well, I know that, but...!" Ritsu ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "I wonder why he's not at least... you know..." He dropped his voice. "Jacking off. In the shower or something." He averted his eyes.

Kisa laughed. "Probably because he's gotten so used to you that his hand just doesn't do it for him anymore." He waved. "Seriously, I gotta hurry back or he's gonna bite my head off. Get well soon!" he called as he left the room. "As fast as possible!"

Ritsu was left thinking as the apartment door slammed shut. It was true that they both had gotten accustomed to having sex with each other. Masturbation, which had been a frequent activity of Ritsu's previously, had completely ceased since he and Takano had gotten back together. There simply was no need for it, in their normal situation. But with this, with him being unable to have sex, he was puzzled why Takano wouldn't just let off some steam by himself.

Ritsu glanced over at the packet of papers, and remembered that he had promised to try to help with the workload in any way possible. It was getting close to hell week, after all, and the work was piling up. All the editors were pulling extra weight to cover for Ritsu. He suggested that they could at least send over some of the shorter, filler comics for him to edit. He took out his trusty red pencil and set to work.

After about an hour, he became fatigued and had to stop. He glanced at the clock and realized he was overdue to take his pain medicine. He ate the cold noodles Kisa had brought for his meal, took two pills with the bottle of water at his bedside, and laid down for a nap.

When he groggily opened his eyes seven hours later, he realized that it was already night outside. He sat up and stretched his arms, then carefully climbed out of bed and made his way to the bathroom. After relieving himself, he took a nice long warm shower. He just as carefully made his way back, and was climbing back into the bed when he heard the front door squeak open.

His heart leapt in anticipation, hoping that it was actually his lover and not someone else he'd sent in his stead. So when Takano himself appeared in the bedroom doorway, occluding the light from the hall as he loosened his tie, Ritsu couldn't contain his happiness and let out a joyful little gasp.

Takano mistook it for something else and stepped forward quickly. "What's wrong, Ritsu?" he asked worriedly.

"Oh, nothing!" Ritsu replied. "I'm just... so happy to see you!"

"Are you?" Takano chuckled in relief. "Well, I'm happy to see you too." He wrapped his arms around Ritsu and kissed him on the top of his head. "Well, I'm going to make us some dinner. Is packet curry all right? I'm too tired for much else."

Ritsu nodded in assent as Takano pulled away to go to the kitchen. He was a bit puzzled, as Takano wasn't acting sexually frustrated at all.

Takano got a quick shower while the food was heating up, then they both ate on the bed. They chatted normally the whole time, joking around with each other, and Ritsu was almost completely convinced that Kisa was wrong...

Until he saw it. A glimpse of pure pain on Takano's face for a split second before he vanished through the doorway with the dirty plates. Ritsu then realized that Takano was using all his strength and willpower to not show Ritsu the agony that he was in.

"Well, this is just silly," Ritsu huffed to himself. "There is absolutely no reason for him to be so miserable!" He slowly tottered towards the bathroom, where Takano was brushing his teeth. "Hey."

Takano looked up in surprise. "What are you doing out of bed?" he asked with the toothbrush in his mouth.

"I can tell you're dying. Why are you just suffering in silence?"

Shock registered across Takano's face, then he looked away uneasily.

Ritsu put his hands on his hips. "Why don't you just jack off?"

Takano rinsed out his mouth. "I... can't." He looked at Ritsu, and then looked away again.

"What do you mean, you can't? You tried and it won't work?" Ritsu was puzzled.

"No... I haven't tried. I just... it just feels like it would be cheating on you," he finally admitted.

Ritsu's shoulders sagged and he let out a groan. "It's not cheating on me. Good Lord. You big dummy. What am I going to do with you?"

"Well, it just felt like going in the bathroom and getting off in secret, where you couldn't see me, would be wrong!"

Ritsu spread out his hands. "So why didn't you just do it where I could see you?"

"Because! That wouldn't be fair! The doctor said absolutely no intense activity for you, so that means you can't do it! So it would be cruel of me to do it in front of you!"

"So you just stuff it down and take it out on your employees? You idiot!" Ritsu shouted, then he sighed loudly. "All this yelling is making me dizzy. Carry me back to bed."

Takano couldn't help but smile as he hoisted Ritsu up carefully. "Yes, dear."

"God, our bickering has become foreplay to you," Ritsu snarked. "I can feel the giant boner you're sporting poking me in the hip."

"Oh, I've had that since I got home and laid eyes on you," Takano assured him. He gently laid him down on the bed. Then he backed up slightly, and tore his own pajamas off with a grunt of relief. "Oh, Ritsu," he moaned as he climbed into his side of the bed. "I'm about to burst."

"I can tell," Ritsu commented with a slight smile. He handed over the lube, and as Takano urgently slicked himself down, Ritsu had to admit that he felt dangerous stirrings of passion in his lower body. He swallowed hard. He wasn't even sure if it was safe to get an erection right now. The staples on the large incision were very close to the base of his penis.

So he tried futilely not to get turned on as he watched Takano masturbate. The man was on all fours; well, on three limbs rather, as he stroked at himself. The passion and desire he had could be seen in the way he groaned through clenched teeth, his hand squeezing up and down his own length. The muscles in his shoulders tensed and relaxed over and over again. This was the first time Ritsu had seen Takano like this, and he had to wonder, _was this the way he pleasured himself back then when we were apart? Was his desire and longing for me this intense?_

Ritsu fell back into the pillows with a slight whimper as he felt himself get fully rigid. There was no helping it now. He breathed heavily, his eyes never breaking away from the thrillingly obscene performance Takano was giving him.

"Oh, God, Ritsu," Takano panted out, his hand moving faster now. "Oh. Oh, yes. Ritsu... I'm... gonna... ahhh!" He cried out, a beautiful sound of relief, as he came hard.

He was cleaning up in a blissful daze when he finally noticed that Ritsu was squirming rather uncomfortably. "Takano-san... I..." Ritsu murmured, easing his pajama bottoms down on his hips. "I couldn't help it," he lamented.

"This is what I was afraid would happen!" Takano said. "I'm sorry, it's my fault. What should we do about it?"

"We probably shouldn't do anything," Ritsu fretted. "But, oh, I'm so hard it hurts!" He wiggled a little bit for emphasis, and bit his lip.

"Just stay still," Takano advised him, laying a soothing hand on his thigh. "I'll take care of it so you don't have to strain yourself."

"What are you going to do?" Ritsu asked breathlessly.

Takano was over him now, and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. "I'm going to put my mouth on it," he whispered.

Ritsu groaned as Takano lowered himself down and engulfed the head of his cock with his mouth. "Ohhhh..." Ritsu moaned. "That feels so good..." Takano slid more into his mouth, and Ritsu gasped. "Ooh, but be careful!" he warned. "Don't put your mouth all the way down!"

"Why not?" the garbled query came from Takano's full mouth.

"Because the big incision is still healing, so I don't want the germs from your spit to get on it!"

"Hey!" Takano took his mouth off to protest. "I just brushed my teeth, you know!"

"Yeah, but still!" Ritsu huffed.

"Do you want me to do this or not?" Takano asked, then teased Ritsu's slit with the tip of his tongue.

"Oh God yes. I want you to," Ritsu moaned. "Please don't stop."

Takano smirked to himself, and continued to work. He slid his lips over the top two inches over and over again, sucking and pulling in a delicious rhythm. Ritsu's hips began to thrust upwards to match, and Takano paused again to admonish him. "Stay still," he ordered.

"I can't help it," Ritsu groaned. "It feels too good! It's... oh... it's instinct." He tried with all his might to keep his body still, but he couldn't refrain from undulating just slightly. "Mmmm, I..." He mussed up the front of his hair with his hand. "I think... oh... oh! Oh! Oh! Masa... mune!" he gasped, and then climaxed powerfully into Takano's mouth.

Takano accepted the hot rush of fluid, and came away licking his lips. "Let's not tell the doctor about this at the follow up visit," he chuckled as he pulled up to kiss Ritsu.

"I wasn't planning on it," Ritsu laughed weakly, wilting into the bed.

"All right, you've had enough intense activity for tonight," Takano said, carefully pulling up Ritsu's pajama bottoms. "Do you hurt at all?" he asked hurriedly, a twinge of worry passing over him.

"No, I feel great..." Ritsu sighed happily. "That felt better than the pain pills!"

"I guess I'm good medicine," Takano laughed. He switched off the lamp and cuddled up next to Ritsu, who sighed again and closed his eyes.


	13. Chapter 13

Four days later, Ritsu woke up cheerful in the morning and got a shower. It was the day of his follow up visit to the surgeon, to check on how his body was healing. If the doctor approved it, then Ritsu could return to work this very day. Ritsu was very eager to get back to work, because he actually did enjoy his profession. He also knew that it was hell week, and they really needed him there.

He kind of hated to be going back to work in the middle of hell week, but it couldn't be helped. That's how the whole incident had happened to fall, timing wise. but in a way it was good, for he was fully rested and perhaps could bring a burst of energy to the exhausted team. They just getting to the point in hell week where they were staying at the office for two or three days straight, but Takano had managed to make it home last night. However, he had come stumbling in at 2am, and passed out in the genkan. The noise of him crashing to the floor had awakened Ritsu, and he had gone out and coaxed his lover to bed. Takano slept face down in his clothes for about six hours, only to be awakened by his phone going off several times in a row because of Hatori having some sort of issue with his author. He had angrily staggered into the bathroom, taken the world's quickest shower, and then reappeared, dressed for the day, and departed.

It was weird for Ritsu to see hell week from the outside like this, so in a strange way he really wanted to get back on the same page as the team and be suffering with the rest of them. It was oddly more painful for him to watch his beloved Masamune struggling while he himself felt fine, than for him to be in the throes of hell week along with him.

Ritsu arrived at the doctor's office for his 1pm appointment, and was shown into an room rather quickly. The nurse instructed him to unfasten his pants, lift up his shirt and lay back on the examination table so that when the doctor came in, he would have easy access to see how the incisions were healing.

The doctor was in shortly, and looked Ritsu over, palpating his abdomen for a few moments as well. "Any unusual pains or fever in the last couple days?"

"No," Ritsu said. "I really feel fine."

"Well, I'd say you're on the right track," the doctor said. He scribbled on a notepad. "I'm going to clear you to return to work. But remember, you are still healing on the inside. So, I wouldn't, say, train for a marathon or do anything extremely strenuous for a few weeks, at least." The doctor laughed jovially.

"Oh, uh... I wasn't planning on it." The nurse came over and explained that she would be removing the staples, but before the doctor stepped out, Ritsu had a pang of worry and called out to him. "Um, well... you said I still can't do anything strenuous?"

"That's right. What line of work are you in?"

"I'm an editor."

"Well, you'll be fine, then."

"Yeah, but, well, you see..." The doctor started to look slightly impatient, so Ritsu just blurted it out. "What about sex?"

The doctor chuckled softly. "Oh, I see. Your girlfriend is wondering when you can get back to your routine? Well, don't worry. That would be fine. Just take it easy, nothing wild."

"Well, that's just the problem," Ritsu said uncomfortably. "I don't have a g-girlfriend, I have a boyfriend. Well, he's my fiance, really. And, um, I'm the... I'm the one who... you know, he puts it in my..." Ritsu could feel his face burning and he could not bring himself to look at either medical professional as he rambled on rapidly. "And he's a big guy and he's pretty enthusiastic, and um, well... is that going to be a problem?"

The doctor finally found his voice. "Er, well... you know, this is the first time I've actually encountered this situation with a patient. But I am going to say that I don't see why there would be a problem. Of course, if there is discomfort... well, I mean, more discomfort than usual, then please cease your... er... activity until you feel well enough to resume it."

"Oh... okay. Thank you." Ritsu felt both mortified and relieved. The doctor exited the room, and Ritsu swore the nurse was snickering under her breath as she removed the staples. Fortunately that was a quick and rather painless procedure, and Ritsu was able to be out of there as soon as possible.

When he arrived at the Marukawa building, Yokozawa was outside the building, just hanging up his cellphone and lighting a cigarette. They nodded respectfully to each other, then Ritsu paused. "Oh, um... tell Hiyori thank you for the nice get well card she made me. I really appreciated that."

Yokozawa looked away as he exhaled a jet of smoke. "She's a sweet little girl. I'll tell her you liked it."

"Thanks." Ritsu continued on into the building. He didn't dare say anything, but he wondered if Yokozawa had actually seen the card before it was sent. Hiyori had written a long message in it.

_Dear Mr. Ritsu,_

_I heard that you had an operation on your tummy. I hope that it didn't hurt too much and that you are feeling all better now. I came to the hospital when you were having the operation, because your special friend Mr. Takano was really sad and scared so me and Onii-chan came to cheer him up. Mr. Takano had a cat named Sorata and he gave it to Onii-chan and then Onii-chan came to live with me so Sorata is my cat now. So that's how I know your special friend Mr. Takano. Daddy explained to me that sometimes a man loves a woman, and sometimes a man loves a man. My daddy used to love a woman (that was my mommy but she got sick and went to heaven) but now he loves a man and that's my Onii-chan. They are very special friends and they love each other. Daddy told me that you and Mr. Takano are the same kind of special friends. I heard Daddy and Onii-chan talking last night and Onii-chan said that you and Mr. Takano are going to get married. Daddy was teasing Onii-chan (he likes to tease Onii-chan!) that maybe they could get married too. Onii-chan got really mad and went into the guest bedroom and locked the door and didn't come out all night, which is what he usually does when Daddy teases him. But do you know what? I have been thinking about it and I think that I really would like for Onii-chan and Daddy to get married. My friend Junko's uncle got married last summer and I got to go and the wedding was so much fun and I got to wear a new dress. So I want Daddy and Onii-chan to get married too. I asked Daddy about it this morning and he said two men can't get married in Japan. But you and Mr. Takano are doing it. So if you can please help Daddy and Onii-chan figure out how they can get married too. I would be ever so grateful to you forever and ever if you could help them. Pretty please with a cherry on top. Okay again I hope you feel better.  
_

_Love,  
_

_Hiyori Kirishima  
_

Ritsu shook his head as he remembered the contents. Surely Yokozawa would never have let that through if he had seen it! He boarded the elevator and sighed. He'd really like to help the little girl, but there was NO FRIGGING WAY IN HELL that he was going to have a conversation with Yokozawa about marriage!

On the fourth floor, it was no surprise that chaos was in full swing. The smell in the room was disgusting, like body odor and old takeout. Kisa lifted his head up an inch from his desk. "Oh, lookee here..." he whimpered. "Ricchan's back. Yay..." His head hit the desk with a loud clunk.

A disheveled Hatori approached Ritsu. "Here," he said bluntly, shoving a stack of papers into Ritsu's hands. "This needed to be done two hours ago."

"I'll get right on it," Ritsu promised. He shed his jacket and sat down, spreading out the papers.

"You fucking idiotic moron!" Takano's unmistakable voice bellowed across the office, practically shaking the furniture. Ritsu turned his head to see his lover gripping the phone so hard it looked as if it would break. He continued to shout into the phone, and then slammed it down abruptly. "Minou!" he yelled. "Get over to your worthless author's office and get that goddamn manuscript! Take your box cutter if you have to!"

Minou stood up, grinning in a sinister way, and Ritsu shivered. He glanced over at Kisa, who was on the phone, begging his author for her final manuscript. "But, please! Sensei! I'm sure it's fine as it is! Just send it over and let me have a look at it! Please!"

Ritsu shook his head. Apparently everyone was having author troubles today. He had been keeping in touch with his own authors by phone from home during all this, and fortunately Mutou-sensei and Kaitou-sensei were not having any crises this month. Their manuscripts had already been submitted and gone through final edits and processing.

Kisa had dissolved into tears and was unable to talk, so Ritsu gently pried the phone out of his hands and spoke into it. "Sensei? Hi, this is Onodera. What seems to be the problem with your manuscript?"

The tearful woman on the other end babbled on about dramatic intention and the whole point of her story being totally lost. Ritsu murmured sympathetically and offered reassuring words. It took almost half an hour, but he succeeded in getting her to agree to fax over what was done.

He handed the phone back to Kisa, who had dried his tears and was already working on something else. "Thanks, Ricchan," Kisa croaked out.

"No problem," Ritsu replied, smiling. It was such a weird sensation to be the only sane one in the office. He finished up the editing he was doing for Hatori, and was handing over just as Takano was calling out from the fax machine. "Yo! Kisa! Your author finally sent her manuscript!"

"Thank God," Kisa breathed out, and began to stand on shaky legs.

"I'll get it," Ritsu offered, crossing the room to take it from Takano.

It was the first time they had encountered each other all day. Ritsu knew better than to draw Takano's attention unnecessarily when they were at work during hell week. It was amazing how the same man who could whisper words so sweetly in his ear at night could growl so ferociously at him during the day! But Ritsu knew that it was par for the course working in this high stress office.

Takano turned around to hand over the papers, and Ritsu was pleased to see a ripple of surprise and happiness change his whole expression. "Hey. How did it go at the the doctor's?"

"Cleared for duty," Ritsu responded with a smile. "And just in time too. This place is falling apart."

"Don't I know it. Hey! Hey, hey, Kisa!" Takano shouted abruptly in a louder tone, startling Ritsu. His gaze was fixed across the office. "I see you slumping to the floor! No sleeping on the job!"

"But boss..." Kisa continued to slink out of his chair.

"Hey, what did I say?" Takano made an aggravated noise and brushed past Ritsu to deal with Kisa. Ritsu just laughed dryly and headed over to Minou, who had just returned with his author's manuscripts. Ritsu pitched in and helped do the tone on them.

After a couple of hours, Ritsu finished it up, and went to the break room to get a drink. He'd just slipped a 100 yen coin in and was making his decision when a very familiar larger hand appeared and made a selection. "Thanks, babe," Takano said as he retrieved the drink from the bottom receptacle.

"Hey, that was mine," Ritsu protested, then he huffed and fished another coin out of his pocket. He was leaning down to get his drink when he gave a little gasp as Takano's arm encircled his waist. He felt Takano's hot breath tickle his ear.

"So... did the doctor say you're all good to go?"

"Wh-what do you mean?" Ritsu stammered, though he knew exactly what his lover was referring to.

"Can we do it?" Takano nuzzled the hair at the back of Ritsu's neck.

Ritsu trembled all over in pleasure. "Y-yes, he said that would be fine," he replied.

"Oh, thank God. Because I'm horny as hell," he pressed his erection into Ritsu's back for emphasis, "and I can't wait to bury this deep inside of you."

A rush of desire went through Ritsu's body, but he pulled away. "Don't say that stuff at work!" he hissed, looking around nervously. "And besides, let's not get all worked up now. There's only 37 hours to the deadline and we're way behind. It's going to be a long time before we can get home."

"Yeah, it will be a long time before we get home. So that's why I'm going to need to bang you real quick in the bathroom."

"WHAT?!" Ritsu screeched. "No!"

Takano put on his trademarked sad puppy dog eyes. "You don't want me?"

"Well, y-yes, of course I want you, but not here! Not at work!"

"Why not?"

"It's just a bad idea!"

"I think it's a great idea," Takano declared, stretching his arms over his head and giving a big yawn. "I think it would give me my second wind to pull through this." He tugged Ritsu by the elbow. "So come on. Let's do it in the bathroom."

"No!" Ritsu pulled his elbow free. "Public restrooms are gross." He looked down at the ground.

"Oh, then would the supply room be okay?"

"I'm telling you, we are not doing it here! B-besides, it's not like we're prepared. I mean, what, have you got lube in your desk?" Takano slowly nodded, and Ritsu wailed. "Why do you have lube in your desk?" he hissed.

"It's always been a fantasy of mine for us to get it on at work," Takano explained, "so I stashed a bottle here just in case the opportunity ever arose."

"You know something?" Ritsu stepped closer, pointing his finger in Takano's face. "You have too many fantasies."

"Ha! So says the guy who giggles my name in his sleep every night because he's dreaming about me." Ritsu went red and looked away, dropping his accusatory pointing finger. "Don't even try to say you're not having your little fantasies about 'me and Senpai eating ice cream on a ferris wheel' or 'me and Senpai cuddling and watching the snow fall together.' You're the king of fantasies. Mine are just more X-rated than yours, that's all." Ritsu huffed and turned away, and Takano took the opportunity to embrace him again and kiss the back of his neck. "Come on. We'll do it real quick."

"It's never 'real quick' with you," Ritsu grumbled. "Because you always want to hug me and kiss me all over my face and whisper I love you like a million times afterwards."

"You don't like all that?"

"Th-that's not the point!" Ritsu stammered. "It's just that this is not exactly the place for any of it! And besides, what if we got caught? I don't know the exact rules on it, but it seems that we could be fired!"

"Nah. I'd appeal to Isaka. It's not like he's never gotten busy in this building."

"Yeah, but he's the director! It's kind of different! Listen..." Ritsu squirmed around and managed to turn around in Takano's arms to face him. "Maybe one day. But not now, not during hell week. It's not a good idea."

"But one day we could do it here?" Takano sounded hopeful.

"Y-yeah."

"Is that a promise?"

"Maybe."

Takano sighed. "I guess that's as good as I'm gonna get. Oh well, I tried." He let go of Ritsu reluctantly and turned to go.

"Wait." Ritsu grabbed at his sleeve, and Takano stopped, confused. "It's not just that, you know."

"What do you mean?"

"It's just that... well... you know, it's been nine whole days since we've properly made love." Ritsu's face was red, but he forced himself to go on. "And so, when we do get to do it, I want it to be just that. Properly making love. Not some hurried affair in the stall of the bathroom. Okay?"

Takano couldn't help but grin widely. "I absolutely understand." He took Ritsu in his arms, pressed a hard but quick kiss to his lips, and then released him. "I can't wait for this to be over. Mark my words, I promise to _properly_ make love to you." He winked, cracked his drink open, and left the break room.

Ritsu opened his own drink with a sigh. "I've signed my own death warrant, haven't I?"

Back in the office, things were moving rapidly. All the manuscripts were finally there, and everyone was bustling to put the finishing touches on them. Ritsu worked steadily with a cutter to cut out pieces of text. Kisa had huge bags under his eyes, but was determinedly working. Takano was on the phone with the printers, assuring them that they'd get their stuff on time.

Night fell and then men worked steadily. Many caffeinated beverages were consumed. The sun rose and they were still hard at work. Even Ritsu, who was much better rested than everyone else, was starting to feel fatigued. He placed a hand below the left side of his rib cage as he had a slight twinge of pain in the muscle there. After all, they'd had to cut through it and it was still healing. It was the first time since his surgery that he wasn't taking pain pills to relieve the discomfort, so it was only natural that it would hurt a little bit. But there was no way he could deal with the grogginess that the pain pills caused while trying to get all this work done.

Finally, at close to midnight, everything was done. The team sighed in relief and got ready to leave. Kisa collapsed onto the floor in the lobby, but fortunately his boyfriend had arrived to help him home. The gorgeous Yukina waved cheerfully to everyone as he hoisted the near comatose Kisa onto his back and tottered towards the train station.

Ritsu looked over at Takano, who was stifling a yawn. "I brought the car," he explained, so they headed for the parking garage. Takano managed to stay awake during the drive home.

Once they were at back in their apartment, Takano headed straight for the shower. Ritsu got in afterwards, and when he exited the bathroom, toweling his head, he smiled to see Takano passed out naked on the bed. "Guess he forgot about making love properly," Ritsu chuckled to himself. He pulled on his pajamas, covered up Takano with the blankets, and then slipped into bed. He switched off the lamp and leaned over to give his lover a kiss on the forehead.

When Ritsu woke up many hours later, he was vaguely aware of pleasant feelings washing over his body. As he became more aware of his surroundings, he realized that Takano was over him, kissing at his neck and unbuttoning his pajama top. "Mmm... good morning," Ritsu murmured.

"It certainly is a good morning," Takano breathed in his ear. "I woke up next to you."

"You do that every morning," Ritsu pointed out.

"Well, it never gets old," Takano assured him. "I'm the happiest man alive when I open my eyes and see you." He had Ritsu's pajama top open now, and was kissing his chest. Feather light kisses landed everywhere, and then Takano brought his mouth to one nipple and suckled it gently. Ritsu moaned and arched his back, prompting Takano to tease it with his teeth and tongue. Once the nipple was pert and red, Takano transferred his attention to the other one and gave it the same treatment.

Ritsu reached down and ran his fingers through Takano's hair. Takano kissed his way back up Ritsu's chest and throat, then caught his mouth for a deep kiss. Warm chest was pressed to even warmer chest as they kissed each other passionately, hands tangled in each others' hair. Ritsu could feel Takano's hot, rigid erection against the front of his pajama pants, and the feeling of it made him moan into Takano's mouth. Ritsu felt the blood surging to below his waist, and within a minute, he was fully hard as well.

Takano was aware of this, as Ritsu began rubbing his hips upwards, and he broke away from the kiss, smirked slightly at Ritsu, and then slid down his body. His hands came to each side of Ritsu's waist and he slowly tugged the pajamas downwards. Ritsu's erection was exposed, and Ritsu watched breathlessly as Takano just gazed in adoration at it for a few moments. Then he nuzzled it slightly with his face, making Ritsu tremble. His tongue came out and ran the length from base to tip.

Ritsu moaned, his toes curling as his thighs spread further apart. Takano took the head in his mouth and sucked it smoothly, rolling his tongue around it again and again. He bobbed his head up and down, thrilling Ritsu's senses with the wet heat.

After a few minutes of this, Ritsu lifted his head. "I want you," he begged. "Now."

Takano released Ritsu's cock from his mouth, but did not rise up just yet. He placed his hands on the backs of Ritsu's thighs and pressed them in towards his chest, and lowered his head to lick Ritsu's entrance. Ritsu let out a scream of pure pleasure as he first felt Takano's hot tongue on his most sensitive spot. He writhed on the bed, his eyes rolling back in his head. "Oh God..." he moaned in ecstasy. Takano forced his tongue inside, making Ritsu cry out brokenly. "I can't take much more," he begged. "Please..."

Takano pulled away, rising up on his knees. His cock was still fully rigid and now throbbing with desire from hearing Ritsu's cries of pleasure. As he leaned over to get the lube from the side table, Ritsu came up on his knees and took Takano's cock in his hand. Takano groaned as Ritsu enveloped the head with his mouth. He sucked it sloppily and urgently. Takano inhaled deeply through his nose, enjoying the sensation, and he managed to dribble some lube onto his fingers. Then, he leaned forward and managed to reach between Ritsu's ass cheeks, teasing his entrance with his slippery longest finger. Ritsu moaned with his mouth full, sending pleasurable reverberations through Takano's cock.

Takano slipped the tip of his longest finger inside of Ritsu, then moved it in and out. Ritsu reacted favorably, moaning again, so Takano managed to get his index finger inside as well. He curled them in and out for a moment, then scissored slightly to open him up. Ritsu let go of Takano's cock with a ragged gasp, and fell back onto the bed, spreading his thighs open. His half lidded eyes and flushed face told Takano that he was more than ready, so Takano lubed up his now aching and wet cock even further than Ritsu had done with his mouth. He then lowered his hips between Ritsu's thighs and angled the tip down to press against Ritsu's twitching hole.

"Ritsu... I love you." Then he moved his hips forward, penetrating Ritsu with one swift thrust. Ritsu cried out, and Takano leaned down to kiss him gently on the forehead before he began thrusting. "God... it feels so amazing," Takano groaned. "So hot and tight." He held onto Ritsu's thighs as he tried to press himself even deeper inside.

"A-ahhhhh..." Ritsu cried out. His face was red and his eyes were shut tight.

"I want to be all the way inside you," Takano rasped out. He continued to press insistently deeper. Ritsu shuddered and melted against him as Takano'scock slid past that delicious bundle of nerves inside his body.

Finally, Takano had buried himself to the hilt, and he paused to look down where he and Ritsu were joined. "It's all in," he breathed. "You're so amazing, Ritsu." He lowered himself down, capturing Ritsu's lips for a kiss. Then he came up, gazed into Ritsu's eyes for a moment, and then began thrusting in and out. He took Ritsu in hand and stroked in time with his thrusts.

The sound of heaving breathing, moans, and skin slapping against skin filled the room. Ritsu began to move erratically underneath Takano as he felt his climax approaching. "Oh, oh, Masamune!" He bit his lip and tightened his muscles. "Ohhhh!"

"Ritsu," Takano grunted, and he exploded deep inside of Ritsu just as Ritsu pulsed out hot, sweet stickiness between his fingers.

Takano collapsed down onto Ritsu with a contented sigh, burying his face between Ritsu's neck and shoulder. He kissed the skin there over and over again, then rose up to kiss Ritsu all over his face. "I love you, so, so much," he told his fiance, admiration and appreciation shining in his eyes.

"I love you, too," Ritsu whispered back. Their lips met, and they kissed for a few seconds before pulling apart to get cleaned up. They slid back under the covers, and Ritsu snuggled up against Takano's chest, while Takano wrapped his arms around Ritsu's back. "See, isn't this way better than doing it in the bathroom at work?" Ritsu teased him.

"Hell yes," Takano agreed. "That's why I've been thinking though... what we have to do is go in when everyone else is off, and I can bend you over my desk. Now THAT would be hot."

Ritsu rolled his eyes and pressed his forehead into Takano's shoulder. "Do you ever stop thinking about different ways to fuck me?"

"No. Do you?"

"...No."

Takano chuckled and hugged Ritsu a little tighter.


End file.
